Ms. Nitika Dangwal will present her APS as per the details below:
Date: 24th September 2025
Time: 1500 - 1600 hrs.
Venue: Conference Room No.2
Title: Assessment of Ecological Drought and its impact on Forest Ecosystem
Guide: Prof. Parmeshwar D. Udmale
RPC Members: Prof. G N Hariharan, Prof. Pradip Kalbar
Abstract:
Historically, it has often been observed that drought has had a significant impact on human civilizations and societies, and even today, its interpretation remains largely agriculture-human-centric. The traditional drought framework focuses more on food security with a human-centric lens and overlooks ecosystem health, be it terrestrial or aquatic. Anthropogenic climate change and the rise in drought frequency alter ecosystem structure, function, and the ecosystem services they provide to humans globally. In 2023, the UNCCD declared many countries to be under drought emergencies, including the USA, the UK, China, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, and India. The sudden increase in wildfire cases globally, especially in 2025, in California, USA, has attracted attention owing to the massive fire that wreaked havoc in the Hollywood metropolitan area. Persistent drought conditions that lead to wildfires and vegetation degradation trigger irreversible land degradation.
This study reviewed the possibility of exploring the interlinkage between drought and its ecological dimensions in the forest ecosystem. The review helped in observing trends in ‘ecological drought, which emphasized an ecosystem-centric approach rather than a human-centric approach. Over time, ecological drought can weaken ecosystems and reduce biodiversity, thus limiting the availability of ecosystem services that humans rely on, either directly or indirectly. This highlights the fact that the impact of drought on ecosystems ultimately cascades to people. Tropical forests remain under drought risk and have observed degradation in their growth patterns, causing die-offs and floristic shifts towards xeric forms globally. Consecutive droughts can reduce resilience, leading to an ecological tipping point. The review identified the potential for assessing ecological drought in tropical forests by observing its impact on forest ecosystems and services.