NIKITA CHOUDHARY

PhD Student

Research Title: Assessing the relationship between functional trait variation and environmental gradients in Singapore’s mangrove species
Research Group: Tropical Environmental Change (TEC)
Thesis Advisor: A/Prof Michiel Van Breugel

Prior to my PhD, I graduated with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (spec. environmental biology) from NUS and a Master of Science in Urban Science, Policy and Planning from SUTD. My interest in mangrove ecology sprouted during my time as a research assistant, leading me to pursue further studies in this niche.

The study of functional trait variation along environmental gradients is crucial for understanding mangrove species distribution. Environmental factors such as elevation and hence tidal inundation, cause gradients of oxidative and salinity stress. Greater inundation time reduces oxygen availability, impairing metabolism and water-use efficiency, while increased salt stress lowers soil water potential, root water uptake, and photosynthesis. Mangrove species have different resource allocation strategies to deal with the multiple stressors in this heterogeneous tidal environment. While variation in plant traits in response to variation in light availability has been well-studied in terrestrial forests, in mangroves this remains understudied. Therefore, understanding species' adaptive traits in response to variation in light levels and inundation time is vital for comprehending mangrove distribution and guiding their rehabilitation. This is achieved by measuring various key functional traits from different species along these gradients.