Member Profile
Membership type: full
Rashmi Shanbhag
Country of origin: India Currently in: India, Bangalore General field of specialization: Biological Systems and Organisms-
Degrees
2012 Doctorate Agricultural Sciences -
Current Research Activities
Biological Systems and Organisms
Being a major component of soil organisms termites play a vital role in the functioning of ecosystems. Over the decade beneficial influence of termites on ecosystem functioning and services was over looked. Termites are among major macroinvertebrate decomposers in arid and semi-arid environments, and exert greater impacts on the natural recourses such as soil, water and nutrients in the landscape and consequently the diversity of soil microbes, plants and animals. Especially, the influence of termite activity on soil fertility management and on rehabilitation of degraded soils is undoubted. In my PhD thesis I tried to understand the importance of termites in the decomposition of wood and its impact on nutrient cycling, soil quality, and on the vegetation structure.
Publications resulting from Research:
1. Jouquet, P., Bottinelli, N., Shanbhag, R. R., Bourguignon,T., Saran Traoré, S., Abbasi, S. A., 2016. Termites: The Neglected Soil Engineers of Tropical Soils. Soil Science, 181: 157-165
2. Rao, M.V., Sundararaj, R., Pachu, A. V., Shanbhag, R. R., 2016. Deterioration of imported timber by marine borers along Visakhapatnam tropical harbour, India. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 109: 1-10
3. Jouquet, P., Guilleux, N., Shanbhag, R. R., Subramanian, S., 2015. Influence of soil type on the properties of termite mound nests in Southern India, Applied Soil Ecology, 96:282-287
4. Sundararaj, R., Shanbhag, R. R., Nagaveni, H. C., Vijayalakshmi, G., 2015. Natural Durability of Timbers under Indian environmental condition-An overview. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation,103:196–214
5. Jouquet, P., Guilleux, N., Caner, L., Chintakunta, S., Ameline, M., Shanbhag, R. R. 2015. Influence of soil pedological properties on termite mound stability. Geoderma, 262:45–51.
6. Jouquet, P., Guilleux, N., Chintakunta, S., Mendez, M., Subramanian, S., Shanbhag, R. R., 2015. The influence of termites on soil sheeting properties varies depending on the materials on which they feed. European Journal of Soil Biology, 69:74–78
7. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2014. Foraging behaviour of Odontotermes wallonensis Wasmann, Indian Forester, 140 (12):1245-1248
8. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2013. Imported wood decomposition by termites in different agro eco zones of India. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 85; 16–22
9. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2013. Host range, pest status and distribution of wood destroying termites of India Lepcey - The Journal of Tropical Asian Entomology 02:(1)12- 27
10. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2013. Effect of physical and chemical properties of imported woods on the degradation by termites in Indian condition Journal of Insect Science: Vol. 13 Article 63
11. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2013. Assemblages and species diversity of wood destroying termites in different land use systems in Western ghat, India Journal of Forestry Research, 24 (2): 361-364
12. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., Ahmad, S. I., 2013. Wood destroying termites (Insecta: Isoptera) of India and their economic importance" in: Animal Diversity, Natural History and Conservation- Vols. 2 (eds: V K Gupta and A. K. Verma) Dayal Publication, 69-102, ISBN: 9788170358312
13. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2012. Seasonal wood degradation activity of Odontotermes spp. (Isoptera: Termitidae) in Bangalore urban district, India, Journal of Biodiversity and Ecological Sciences, 2(1): 49-54.
14. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2011. An identification Guide to the wood destroying termites of south India. Journal of the. Indian Academy of wood science, 8(2):148-151. ISSN: 0972-172X
15. Shanbhag, R. R., Jagadish M.R., Dhanya B., Viswanath, S., 2010. Assessment of termite infestation in six industrially important bamboo species in semiarid tracts of Karnataka, India, Journal of Bamboo and Rattan, 9(3&4):109-113.
16. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2009. Comparative infestation of termites in different Eucalyptus species in selected locations of South India. Indian Journal of Tropical Biodiversity, 17(2):225-228. ISSN 0971-4642
17. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., Hemavathi, T. R., 2009. Natural durability of some exotic timbers in accelerated field test against termites. Journal of the. Indian Academy of wood science, (N.S) Vol 6 (1&2); 12-19, ISSN: 0972-172X
18. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2009. Termite Fauna of Karnataka with special emphasis on major wood destroying termites. FRI, Dehara Dun, India, special issue on National Forestry Conference, 271-274.
19. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., Lingappa, B., 2008. Species composition of termites and their infestation in Eucalyptus plantation. Proceedings of Dr. Leslie C. Coleman’s memorial national symposium on plant protection. University of agriculture Bangalore.
20. Shanbhag, R. R., Sundararaj, R., 2008. Comparative infestation of termites in different Eucalyptus species in and around Bangalore Proceedings Dr. Leslie C. Coleman’s memorial national symposium on plant protection. University of agriculture Bangalore.
Current profession
Current professional activities type:ResearchScientist
Affiliations
Royal Entomological SocietyInternational Research Group on Wood Protection
