Ecosystem Service Assessment from Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra’
PI: - Dr. Ankur Patwardhan
Funding Agency : Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF)
Grant : Rs. 34.31 Lakhs
Duration : 2012-2017

     
Present project primarily focuses on assessment of various ecosystem services from sacred forests of Maharashtra. The forests will be assessed from provisioning, regulatory and cultural service point of view. Biodiversity assessment, Watershed, Pollination, Carbon Sequestration and utilitarian values of these forests will be assessed.

Ecological assessment and determination of endophytic diversity of marine macroalgae (Seaweeds) from the Western Coast of Maharashtra
PI: - Dr. Ankur Patwardhan
Co-PI- Dr. Mugdha Bakshi
Funding Agency : BCUD
Grant : Rs. 2.70 Lakhs
Duration : 2013-2015

     
The projects aims at assessing macroalgal diversity in the tidal region along the Western coast of Maharashtra with respect to the surrounding environmental physical parameters and understanding distribution and abundance pattern of flora and fauna associated with the macroalgal isolates & prepare database for the study area. Further, it aims at isolation and study of diversity patterns of macroalgal endophytes.

Inventorization of provisional ecosystem services of selected Sacred Natural Sites (SNS) through community participation from northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra - a biodiversity hotspot.
PI: - Ms. Monali Mhaskar
Mentor:- Dr. Ankur Patwardhan
Funding Agency : DST – WOS (B)
Grant : Rs. 8.24 Lakhs
Duration : 2013-2015

     
The project deals with the identification of provisional services of ‘Sacred Natural Sites’ (food, medicine and biomass) and understand role of local community in management of these ‘Sacred Natural Sites’. The data generated would be applied to for better environment protection to aid systematic conservation planning with the help of local community.

‘Identification of critical areas of conservation concern using RS-GIS technique from northern Western Ghats of India'.
PI: - Dr. Ankur Patwardhan
Funding Agency : ISRO-UoP
Grant : Rs. 10.87 Lakhs

     
Identification of biodiversity rich areas within an eco-region has become a national priority in the wake of Biodiversity Act (2004). Effective action in this context calls for an understanding of ‘spatial distribution’ of the ‘conservation value’ of the forests besides knowing their vegetation types. The proposed study will primarily focus on how we have addressed this by preparing (a) biological richness maps and (b) thematic maps using GIS and RS tools. A protocol for developing such maps and its application to the Sahayadri Tiger Reserve along with Reserve Forest patches will be the focus of the research.

‘Application of GIS-RS in Mapping and Conservation of Threatened Medicinal Plant Species from northern Western Ghats of India’. Funded by: ISRO-UoP 
PI: - Dr. Ankur Patwardhan
Funding Agency : ISRO-UoP
Grant : Rs. 7.27 Lakhs

     
Present project primarily focuses on threatened medicinal plant species in the Pune, Satara and Kolhapur districts of northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Species were short listed using IUCN Red Lists, Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP), habitat specificity and trade potential. For each of the short listed species, four types of ‘thematic maps’ were developed using RS-GIS tools. These include; (i) NDVI maps (ii) Forest Cover Map (iii) Google earth map and (iv) Prediction map. Mass multiplication protocols have been standardized for prioritized species.

'Camptothecin (CPT) distribution in Nothapodytes nimmoniana and Ophiorrhiza rugosa : Endangered medicinal species from Western Ghats of India.'
PI: - Dr. Ankur Patwardhan
Co-PI- Dr. Mugdha Bakshi
Funding Agency : BCUD, Univ. of Pune
Grant : Rs. 2.00 Lakhs

     
Camptothecin alkaloid is well known in cancer cure. It is essentially a plant based alkaloid. Present project studies variation in Camptothecin across plant parts and habitats from threatened species such as Nothapodytes nimmoniana and Ophiorrhiza rugosa from Western Ghats of India