Welcome to my webpage

I am a PhD candidate at Wagner Lab, EEB, U of T. Earlier I have completed an MSc in Biology from Mallik Lab, Lakehead University and, an MS in forestry from FWT Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh.

My PhD project is on using spatial analyses to infer assembly rules in plant metacommunities. Specifically, how patterns and processes of community assembly (local community) couple with spatial processes and shapes the regional metacommunity.

Broad questions/topics include i) how do existing metacommuniy models treats landscape ii) landscape effects on species coexistence iii) choosing the best model: when, which, model would be appropriate iv) can we infer underlying ecological processess from one time snapshot observational data? - a simulation approach v) quantification of spatial patterns and making inference on underlying processes from field data.

Research interest: Metacommunity assembly, spatial analysis, landscape ecology, theoretical ecology, biological invasion, mangrove ecology

Previous employment: i) Department of Biology, Lakehead University, CA ii) IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Bangladesh Country Office

Selected publications:

1. Biswas, S.R. and Mallik, A.U. in press. Disturbance effects on species diversity and functional diversity in riparian and upland plant communities. Ecology [pdf]

2. Rashid, S.H., Biswas, S.R., Bocker, R. and Kruse, M. 2009. Mangrove community recovery potential after catastrophic disturbances in Bangladesh. Forest Ecology and Management 257: 923-930. [pdf]

3. Biswas, S.R., Mallik, A.U., Choudhury, J.K. and Nishat, A. 2009. A unified framework for the restoration of Southeast Asian mangroves - bridging ecology, society and economics. Wetlands Ecology and Management 17: 365-383. [pdf]

4. Biswas, S.R., Choudhury, J.K., Nishat, A. and Rahman, M. 2007. Do invasive plants threaten the Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh? Forest Ecology and Management 245 (1/3): 1-9. [pdf]

5. Biswas, S.R. and Choudhury, J.K. 2007. Forest and Forestry in Bangladesh: the question of sustainability. International Forestry Review 9(2): 627-640. [pdf]