German professor visits RG varsity

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, April 1: Prof Franz Bairlain, director of the Avian Institute of Oldenburg University in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, visited the Centre with Potential for Excellence in Biodiversity (CPEB) at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) here recently as a visiting faculty to hone the centre’s biodiversity research activities, especially in the area of wildlife biology research. The visiting professor enlightened the members of the CPEB (led by assistant professor Dr Daniel Mize) on the global bird migration, methods of tracking migration, and the migratory paths of birds across the globe, through a series of lectures and interactions. He also demonstrated how climate change imparts a fingerprint on biodiversity and can be easily observed in birds. Full of admiration for the biodiversity of Aruchal Pradesh, Prof Barlain said, “We go to Africa, Antarctica, and Arctic areas for our research work, but for you, there is no need to go anywhere. A huge, prospective research field is at your doorstep as your state falls in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.” During his stay at RGU, he interacted with students, research scholars, and professors of the CPEB. While discussing research avenues, he strongly recommended research on “temporal variation of bio-community composition along elevation gradient, comparative study of bio-community composition between disturbed and undisturbed habitats etc.