Deesha Jeppu, PG Diploma Student, SIAS, Krea University presented a poster of her PG Diploma Capstone thesis at the IWEC24 Conference, earlier this month. Her study finds that among Indian bird species, morphological traits related to resource needs and movement behaviour are reliable predictors of extinction risk, while reproductive traits play a lesser role. This work was carried out under the guidance/supervision of Dr Shivani Jadeja, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, SIAS, Krea University. By participating in the conference, she was able to gain valuable feedback about ways in which she could improve her study and became familiar with how to present her work comprehensively. The opportunity also allowed her to network and form valuable connections with people who work within this field.
Deesha Jeppu, PG Diploma Student, SIAS, Krea University, also tagged butterflies as a part of her independent study course with Dr Shivani Jadeja, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, SIAS, Krea University, under whose guidance the project is being carried out with funding support from Krea University. The fieldwork she participated in was part of an independent study guided by Dr Shivani Jadeja and was focused on observing Danainae butterfly congregations in the Western Ghats. It aimed to understand individual and population-level ecology by tagging butterflies for movement tracking and collecting morphometric data. It also monitored known congregation sites to identify key factors influencing their location and size. Deesha helped capture and tag butterflies and collect data about their congregation sites. These species are migratory and travel between the Eastern (where the campus is located, so it was exciting for her to see them on campus) and the Western Ghats. She learnt valuable skills about basic field equipment and study and data planning in ecological research. She also gained a deeper appreciation for the endurance and knowledge required to maneuver safely through the terrain they were working in.