ROLE ON FIRE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF CHRYSOPOGON ZEYLANICUS (STEUD.) THW. DOMINATED GRASSLANDS OF GRASS HILLS, WESTERN GHATS, INDIA.

Dr. S. PAULSAMY, Former Head of Botany Department, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore. He has completed 32 years of teaching experience in UG and PG Botany with 33 years of research experience. His area of specialization is plant ecology and conservation biology. He is the recipient of Tamil Nadu State Government Environment Award for the year, 2009. Included as expert in Environment Database, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for the year, 2008 and nominated by the same Ministry as a member in the expert committee to revise the Champion classification of Indian Forests. Received 'Best Senior Scientist Award (Botany)' for the year, 2016 from PEARL - A Foundation for Educational Excellence. Selected as 'Science Communicator' in the 104th Indian Science Congress held at Shree Venkateshwara University, Tirupathi during January, 2017. Produced 26 Ph.Ds and 31 M.Phils and completed 8 major and minor research projects funded by MoEN, UGC and TNSCST. He has organized 21 National level seminars. Published 215 articles in various reputed journals and written 2 books. He was the editor of Kongunadu Research Journal during 2014-2021 and reviewer for several international SCI journals like Tropical Ecology, Industrial Crops and Products, African Journal of Biotechnology, etc. Being a resources person, delivered popular lectures in more than 60 institutions in various topics of natural resource management. Life member in professional bodies viz., Range Management Society of India, International Society for Tropical Ecology and Indian Science Congress Association. Visited UAE and Thailand for participating seminars and delivered lead lectures.