Dr. Arya holds an M.Sc in Botany from Kumaun University, Nainital, and a Ph.D. in Botany from HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, with a focus on Ecology, Biodiversity Conservation, and Climate Change. Currently serving as an Associate Professor and head and convener at botany department in Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, Uttarakhand. He brings over 14 years of combined teaching and research expertise to his role. His scholarly contributions include the publication of 50 research papers, 5 book chapters in esteemed national and international journals and one book to his credit. Dr. Arya has been instrumental in mentoring four Ph.D. scholars to successful completion under his guidance. Additionally, he has actively participated as a convener and co-convener in various national and international seminars, fostering academic discourse and collaboration within the scientific community.Dr. Naveen Chandra is serving as a faculty in Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora. He did his Post graduation in 2016 and obtained Ph.D. degree (Botany) from Kumaun University, Nainital in 2022. Prior to joining the university, he served as a Project Fellow at the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC), Dehradun, for over six years and worked on different aspect of Himalayan biodiversity. His research pursuits encompass diverse domains within the botanical sciences, including plant taxonomy and ecology, vegetation ecology, invasion ecology, high-altitude physiology, medicinal plants, ecological modelling, and the application of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) in biodiversity and ecological research. His scholarly contributions include 35 research papers, 10 book chapters, 1 book, 1 edited book and 2 scientific reports. Notably, he currently serves as an editor for two books published by Springer Nature on different aspect of Himalayan ecosystem. His research activities involve comprehensive surveys of high-altitude regions in the western Himalaya, focusing on monitoring vegetation patterns and conducting long-term ecological monitoring initiatives.Ravindra Kumar is working as a Faculty in the Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University at Almora. He has published 18 research papers, one book and 5 books chapters in different national and international journals. Notably, he currently serves as an editor for two books. He has a teaching experience of more than 6 years. His research interest includes Plant taxonomy, Gymnosperm, High altitude ecology and Ethnobotany.Dr. Upadhyaya is working as a Faculty at SSJ University, Almora, Uttarakhand. She has more than 15 years of teaching experience for department of Botany. She did her Ph.D. on the topic “Studies on leaf surface microfungi of Setaria italic Beauv. with reference to antagonism and disease development in Almora hills” and since then she has been involved in extensive research in the field of Plant Pathology and Ethnobotany. She has published more than 40 research papers in journals of national and international repute and has a patent and one book published in India. She has attended various workshops and seminars and also organized and conducted various webinars inher department. Her research projects have been funded by DST and CSIR, India. Her admiration for nature and efforts to restore the important of indigenous practices are well mirrored in her research work.Mr. Arun Pratap Mishra is a passionate environmental researcher with a masters degree in Environmental Science from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal (Central) University in Uttarakhand, India. His dedication to advancing ecological research and sustainability is evident in his extensive body of work, which includes 40 research articles, 10 book chapters, 3 conference papers, and 1 technical report. He also serves as the editor of four notable books that focus on Himalayan plant ecology, natural resource management, climate change in the Himalayas, and the Earth’s carbon footprint, utilizing cutting edge techniques and cloud based solutions.With professional experience spanning esteemed institutions like the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre, Botanical Survey of India, Wildlife Institute of India, and RBased Services Private Limited, Mr. Mishra has developed a deep expertise in geospatial technologies. He has further solidified his credentials with a postgraduate diploma in Remote Sensing and GIS from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS, ISRO).Currently, Mr. Mishra holds the position of GIS Analyst at Earthtree Enviro Pvt. Ltd., Shillong, Meghalaya, where he focuses on utilizing innovative computational methods and geospatial analysis to advance ecological conservation and sustainable development. His goal is to address pressing global challenges such as climate change and carbon management through data-driven, practical solutions.
