Invasion success of exotic plants: One of the most fascinating questions in ecology is why some exotic plants form monoculture and eliminate their neighbours in non-native ranges while they are present in species diverse native communities. We address this question by examining the invasion ecology of some of the worst invaders in (1) Western Ghats, India - Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micranth.(2) Foothills of northwestern Himalayas - Ageratina adenophora.(3) Semiarid and arid regions of India - Prosopis juliflora. We take biogeographic and congeneric approaches to study invasion success.

Allelopathy: Some plant release chemical compounds into the environment that may suppress the establishment and growth of associated species. We investigate allelopathic potential of certain weeds in realistic environment. In the past allelopathic potential of several weeds were examined, for example, Pluchea lanceolata, Polypogon monspeliensis, Stellaria media, and Chenopodium murale. We also carry out studies to examine fate of secondary metabolites in soil and their interaction with soil factors.

Impact of litter on soil ecology: Litter plays an important role in nutrient release and influence soil microbial ecology. We study the impact of litter in forest ecosystems on native biodiversity, nutrient dynamics and microbial communities.

Exotic cropland weeds: Exotic cropland weeds such as Phalaris minor in wheat field, is one of the major causes of yield decline. These weeds may restrict with a particular crop but might have devastating effects on growth and yield of the crop

Collaborators

• K.V. Sankaran, KFRI, Kerala
• Ragan Callaway, University of Montana, USA
• Jessica Gurevitch, Stony Brook University, USA
• Jonathan Gershenzon, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany
• Leslie Weston, Charles Sturt University, Australia
  
• M.K. Pandit, University of Delhi, India
• Prasanta C. Bhowmik, University of Massachusetts, USA
• Ahmet Uludag, Turkey