India, March 12 -- From studying hornbills to restoring degraded rainforests, tropical ecologist Dr. Divya Muddappa has dedicated nearly three decades to conservation in the Western Ghats.

Dr. Divya Muddappa, Senior Scientist at the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru, has spent nearly three decades studying and protecting the rainforests of the Western Ghats. Her work in tropical ecology spans areas such as restoration ecology, conservation biology and plant-animal interactions, including seed dispersal and frugivory.

She began her research journey with the Malabar Grey Hornbill during her Master's at the Salim Ali School of Ecology, Pondicherry University and later spent years studying hornbills across the Western Ghats, tracking t...