Robin Vijayan
IISER Tirupati
Robin Vijayan is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati. His research focuses on ecology, biogeography and evolutionary ecology of birds in montane “sky-island” habitats, integrating fieldwork, bioacoustics, genetics and conservation approaches. He has described new genera and species, and his work highlights how ancient geographic features and recent anthropogenic changes shape bird diversity. A recipient of the National Geographic Explorer award and a Fulbright Fellow, Robin Vijayan’s lab also engages in citizen science and young naturalist outreach initiatives.
Session 3A: Symposium on Evolutionary Ecology in the Wild
Chairperson: Renee Borges, IISc, Bengaluru
Population trends inferred from field and genomic data indicate differential roles for climate and landscape change for Sky Island birds
Biphasic habitats—where two distinct habitat types coexist in the same climate zone—allow us to separate habitat structure effects from climate when studying species’ responses to environmental change. The Shola Sky Islands of the Western Ghats exemplify this system, with montane cloud forests and grasslands supporting distinct endemic species. Our research has documented century-long habitat changes, particularly from invasive woody species transforming grasslands. I will present findings from three complementary studies spanning 25 years: Four-year monitoring of marked birds shows stable populations in intact forests but reduced survival in disturbed areas. Landscape-scale surveys reveal forest birds colonizing woody invasive habitats in grasslands, while grassland specialists decline. Whole-genome data from 100 individuals across 15 species show montane specialists maintain stable populations (Ne) over millions of years, while generalists fluctuate with paleoclimatic events. Together, these findings demonstrate that vegetation structure affects short-term survival, while climate-ecology interactions shape long-term demographics—an integrated approach applicable to understudied landscapes like the Eastern Ghats.