Research Interest
I am interested in looking at how habitat fragmentation affects the spatial distribution of genetic variation in mammals. Global patterns of habitat fragmentation and connectivity for mammalian carnivores reveal that while the Indian sub-continent has high species richness, it also has a high level of habitat fragmentation and isolation. Rapid economic and human demographic growth have lead to severe habitat loss creating progressively smaller patches or islands of suitable habitat located in a hostile and heterogeneous matrix. I am using genetic tools and theory-based simulations to investigate how different mammal species are affected by habitat fragmentation in the Central Indian Highlands and how this connectivity may change in the future in face of development.