Abstract
My talk will provide an overview of my research on mangrove biodiversity, phytosociology, and vegetation physiology, focusing on photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) for understanding ecosystem carbon dynamics. I will also discuss the spatial assessment of forest litterfall and terrestrial carbon-cycle modelling across Indian forests. The talk will conclude with an introduction to the IGSTC WISER project, highlighting the assessment of mangrove biomass and blue carbon, and the integration of remote sensing, GIS, and machine learning to spatially estimate litterfall and carbon dynamics.
Short bio:
Dr. Kripa M. K. is a researcher at the Eco-informatics Lab, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE, India) and WISER fellow, with over 12 years of experience in remote sensing, GIS, and geospatial modelling for ecosystem assessment and monitoring. She completed her PhD at the Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad, investigating mangrove photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, gross primary productivity (GPP), biodiversity, and phytosociology. Her postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), IISc campus, focused on forest carbon dynamics, litterfall, and biomass estimation. She subsequently worked as a Scientist at the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE), Bhuj. Her current research integrates field observations, satellite remote sensing, statistical modelling, and AI/ML to advance biodiversity conservation, ecosystem monitoring, climate change research, restoration, and carbon assessment.