Dr. Suresh Kumar Ghimire

Research Interests:My research relates to the biodiversity conservation in the Himalaya integrating both science-based approaches and local ecological knowledge. The following are some of the specific areas of my interest:

• Applied ethnobotany/ethnoecology: Understanding how local practices shapes the structure and dynamics of plants at population, community and landscape levels and in what extent the local knowledge and practices can be incorporated in the design of more sustainable practices,
• Vegetation dynamics and species diversity in relation to human-management and ecological gradients including climate change,
• Systematic study, ecology and conservation biology of rare, threatened and useful plants.

• French Government scholarship for PhD study (2003)
• Young Scientist Award of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Kathmandu (2002)
• Research grant from WWF-UK (2001-2004), WWF Nepal (1998-2001)
• Krishna Chandra Regmi Award of Tribhuvan University (1995).

• Resource assessment and management plan preparation for ISSC-MAP implementation and sustainable collection of NTFPs in Langtang National Park and Kangchenjunga Conservation Area. Funding source: WWF Nepal Program (Jan-July 2009).
• Identification of important plant areas (IPAs) in Sacred Himalayan Landscape, Nepal. Funding source: WWF Nepal Program (April-June 2008).
• Developing community-based monitoring system and sustainable harvesting guidelines for non-timber forest products in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Taplejung. Funding source: Darwin Initiative/WWF Nepal Program (March 2006-March 2008).

• With Missouri Botanical Garden to conduct a research project entitled “Central Himalayan Alpine Biodiversity, Ethnobotany, and Climate Change”. Funding source: National Geographic Society USA (2009-2010).
• With Himalayan Amchi Association to conduct a research project entitled “Integrating Amchis’ Traditional Knowledge and Practices for Medicinal Substitutes and Conservation of Threatened Species in the Himalaya”. Funding source: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, WWF Nepal (2009-2010).

• Anil SHARMA (Botany): Diversity and distribution of orchids in Central Nepal.
• Rabindra PARAJULI (Botany): Nurse effect of shrubs in human-managed landscape.
• Narayan POKHREL (Botany): Population ecology of Nardostachys grandiflora.
• Mukti PAUDEL (Botany): Conservation biology of rare and common species of Meconopsis.
• Suman ARYAL (Biodiversity and Environment Management): Effect of transhumance-related activities in species richness among different habitat patches in Langtang National Park, Nepal Himalaya.

• Gubhaju M. and Ghimire S.K. 2009.Diversity and population status of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in community forests of Dovan, Palpa, Nepal. Journal of Natural History Museum (Nepal), 24: 21-46
• Ghimire S.K., 2008. Sustainable harvesting and management of medicinal plants in the Nepal Himalaya: current issues, knowledge gaps and research priorities. In: Medicinal Plants in Nepal: an Anthology of Contemporary Research (P.K. Jha, S.B. Karmacharya, M.K. Chhetri, C.B. Thapa & B.B. Shrestha, eds.), pp 25-42. Ecological Society (ECOS), Nepal.
• Ghimire S.K., GimenezO., Pradel R., McKey D. and Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y. 2008. Demographic variation and population viability in a threatened medicinal and aromatic herb (Nardostachys grandiflora): effects of harvesting in two contrasting habitats. Journal of Applied Ecology, 45: 41-51.
• Shrestha M.R., Shakya L.R. & Ghimire S.K. 2007. A new species of Malaxis Solander ex Sw. (Orchidaceae) from Dolpa, Nepal. Pleione (India), 1: 6-7.
• Adhikari B., Ghimire S.K. and Chaudhary R.P. 2006. Phyllanthus griffithi Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae), a new record for Nepal. Reedea (India), 16(1):67-68.
• Ghimire S.K., McKey D. and Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y. 2006. Himalayan medicinal plant diversity in an ecologically complex high altitude anthropogenic landscape, Dolpo, Nepal. Environmental Conservation, 33: 128-140.
• Ghimire S.K. 2006.The endemic flora in Dolpo, North-West Nepal: distribution patterns, life forms, habitat specificity and conservation status. Botanica Orientalis (Nepal), 5: 30-39.
• Ghimire S.K., McKey D. and Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y. 2005. Conservation of Himalayan medicinal plants: harvesting patterns and ecology of two threatened species, Nardostachys grandiflora DC. and Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Pennell) D.Y. Dong. Biological Conservation, 124: 463-475.
• Ghimire S.K. and Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y. 2005. Approach to in situ conservation of threatened Himalayan medicinal plants: a case study from Shey-Phoksundo National Park, Dolpo. In: Himalayan medicinal and aromatic plants, balancing use and conservation (Y. Aumeeruddy-Thomas, M. Karki, K. Gurung & D. Parajuli, eds.), pages 209-234. His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Ghimire S.K., McKey D. and Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y. 2004. Heterogeneity in ethnoecological knowledge and management of medicinal plants in the Himalayas of Nepal: implications for conservation. Ecology and Society(2004),9(3): 6. [online] URL:http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/ vol9/iss3/art6/
• Aumeeruddy-Thomas Y., Lama Y.C. and Ghimire S.K. 2002. Health care development and medicinal plants conservation at Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal. In: Sharing Local and National Experience in Conservation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in South Asia (N. Bhattarai & M. Karki, eds), pp. 71-92. International Development Research Centre (IDRC), New Delhi, India.

• Ghimire S.K., Sapkota I.B., Oli B.R. & Parajuli R.R.,2008. Non-Timber Forest Products of Nepal Himalaya: Database of Some Important Species Found in the Mountain Protected Areas and Surrounding Regions. WWF Nepal, Kathmandu.
• Ghimire S.K., Pyakurel D., Nepal B., Sapkota I.B., Parajuli R.R. & Oli B.R., 2008. Gair Kasta Banpaidawar Digdarshan (manual of NTFPs of Nepal Himalaya). WWF Nepal, Kathmandu (in Nepali).
• Lama, Y.C., Ghimire S.K. & Aumeeruddy Thomas Y. 2001. Medicinal Plants of Dolpo: Amchi’s Knowledge and Conservation. People and Plants Initiative, WWF Nepal Program, Kathmandu.