The currency of success in nature is the number of offspring you leave behind, so individuals may employ alternative ways to achieve mating success under different conditions. For instance, males may attempt to mate sneakily instead of performing conspicuous courtship displays, which may attract predators. Predation risk is believed to be a factor that can drive individuals to switch between different mating tactics, but this has rarely been studied experimentally.

Termite mounds are iconic examples of earthen structures that can withstand the forces of nature such as weathering and remain intact for decades if not centuries. We have discovered that moisture alone, at levels close to the liquid limits of the construction soil, which is a residual red soil in Bangalore, is sufficient to give termite mound soils its incredible strength. However, in the absence of the manipulation of soil by termites, this soil has no weathering resistance.

The termite mound is an iconic example of earthen construction. It is a self-organised structure built by thousands of blind termite workers that build a stable soil structure with extremely high safety factors and resistance to slope failure. Using finite element modeling, tomography, porosity measurements and experimental determination of air permeability, we show that the termite mound is a bilayered structure with a solid core and a porous shell.

Candidates with the following additional qualifications/skills will be preferred:

• Experience in field work with herpetofauna

• Quantitative skills including statistics and study design.

• Data analysis skills including working knowledge of R and GIS.

Remuneration: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and work experience in accordance with GOI and IISc scales.

How to apply:

List of Selected students for the PhD program at CES (2020)

1 20119079 TARUN SURESH MENON

2 20100046 ARITRA BISWAS

3 20100767 SURANSE VIVEK PREMNATH

4 20115553 JOSHI MIHIR MAKARAND

5 20110421 PRANAV BALASUBRAMANIAN

6 20104684 AMANDA BEN

7 20110076 KAJAL KUMARI

8 20108394 AYAN DAS

9 20111917 PRATIK DAS

Waiting list

1 20102390 ANUBHAV DHAR

2 20113281 JASPREET KAUR

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Vaibhav's Protanilla, Protanilla flamma a small subterranean ant measuring just 2.5mm has been described from the forests of Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, India. This ant is completely blind and uses chemical cues for navigating in their dark subterranean world. The species is named after Prof. Vaibhav Chindarkar from Goa. The word “vaibhav” means eminence – like the glow of a flame in the dark in Sanskrit and incidentally, this species is also yellowish-orange in colour and hence, the species is named "flamma".

Announcement of Vacancy for the Position of Postdoctoral Fellow for Forest Dynamics Research in the Long-Term Ecological Observatories (LTEO) programme

Number of vacancies: One

Position: Postdoctoral Fellow 

Chief responsibilities: Oversee and manage the Forest Dynamics project of the Indian LTEO program, liaise with the co-PIs across multiple institutions, supervise junior researchers, and assist in data analysis and report and manuscript writing. 

Announcement of Vacancy for the Position of Research Assistant in the  Long-Term Ecological Observatories (LTEO) programme

Number of vacancies: One   

Position: Research Assistant  

Chief responsibilities: Liaison with the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) and network building activities.  

Last date to apply: 13 July 2020 

Project details:  

Riverine ecosystems encompass ecological, social and economic processes (ecosystem functions) that interconnect biotic components and provide goods and services for the society. Degradation of these vital ecosystems has been the primary cause for increasing water insecurity, raising the need for integrated solutions to freshwater management. 

Post-doctoral position now available in the lab of Maria Thaker. Deadline for Applications extended to 30 May 2020. We invite applications for the position of Postdoctoral Fellow for Movement Ecology research under the Long-Term Ecological Observatories (LTEO) Programme on biodiversity and climate change. Contracts will initially be for one-year, with the potential to extend up to 3-5 years, depending on performance.  

Number of vacancies: One

Position: Postdoctoral Fellow