ADITYA SATISH
Project student
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RESEARCH INTERESTS:
I use my research to understand patterns and processes in ecology and evolution, which ultimately deepens my understanding of natural history. I am interested in fundamental questions about biodiversity, such as why species are found where they are, how they came to evolve there, why some regions have more species than others, and how communities are assembled. I am also curious about why species possess the traits they do, and the relationships between species. These questions have shaped my core interests to lie at the intersection of community ecology, biogeography, speciation, trait evolution, and taxonomy, particularly in montane and island systems. I joined the Bird Lab to pursue my interests in biogeography and evolution - I am leading a project investigating which functional traits drive levels of genetic differentiation among Western Ghats birds across geographic barriers. I led herpetofauna surveys in Meghalaya with Conservation Initiatives in 2022. For my Master’s thesis at the Wildlife Institute of India (2022-24), I studied the effects of disturbance-driven changes in vegetation structure and arthropod abundance on mixed- species flocks in the Western Himalaya. Before joining the Bird Lab, I had a stint with the Nature Conservation Foundation in 2025 to study the effects of forest cover and climate on cashew pollinator diversity and visitations in the Northern Western Ghats. PERSONAL AND OTHER INTERESTS:
My personal and professional interests are very much intertwined. I enjoy engaging in natural history through field exploration, observation and documentation. I have broad interests across various vertebrate and invertebrate groups (and plants, although I am terrible at IDing them!), and try to learn as much as I can about their ecology and natural history. I also like travelling and writing about my experiences. Outside of my interests in the natural world, I enjoy watching and playing football, taking walks, some haphazard reading and hanging out with friends and family. 
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eMail
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PUBLICATIONS:
Satish, A., Page, N., Bangal, P. & Shahabuddin, G. (2025). Effects of forest disturbance on mixed-species bird flocks in Western Himalaya: Role of vegetation structure, arthropod abundance and insectivore communities. Forest Ecology and Management, 590, 122780 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122780
Pre-print
Satish, A., Sadekar, V., Madhu, N., Manimoole, S., Narayanan, H. R., Rege, A., & Naniwadekar, R. (2025). Effects of forest cover, temperature and flower abundance on cashew pollinators in the northern Western Ghats, India. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. (In review). Preprint available at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.11.686480
Satish, A., Page, N., Bangal, P. & Shahabuddin, G. (2025). Effects of forest disturbance on mixed-species bird flocks in Western Himalaya: Role of vegetation structure, arthropod abundance and insectivore communities. Forest Ecology and Management, 590, 122780 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122780
Pre-print
Satish, A., Sadekar, V., Madhu, N., Manimoole, S., Narayanan, H. R., Rege, A., & Naniwadekar, R. (2025). Effects of forest cover, temperature and flower abundance on cashew pollinators in the northern Western Ghats, India. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. (In review). Preprint available at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.11.686480
