• Our lab is focusing on diversity, distribution and endemism of flowering plants of India with a special emphasis on Northern region of Western Ghats, which is one of the 35 global biodiversity hotspots. Currently, we are also involved in quantifying and mapping plant diversity of various habitats like forests, rock outcrops and cliffs in Northern Western Ghats for understanding their species composition and endemism using standard ecological methods. We are studying autecology of some endemic species to help us understand their restrictedness to particular habitats. We have special interests in grasses, their adaptations and distribution patterns and reasons for their endemism. We are trying to combine conventional taxonomy with ecology and molecular phylogeny studies for which we are collaborating with other scientists of ARI. We have a recognized and well organized herbarium (AHMA), which is the backbone of our research activities. We are also digitizing our herbarium and have made it available online through our website.

Current projects:

• Taxonomy, Ecology and molecular phylogeny of Ischaemum (Poaceae)
• Vascular plant endemism of Northern Western Ghats
• TDigitizing herbarium at Agharkar Research Institute

Funding:

• SERB, Department of Science and Technology
• Maharashtra state, Forest Department
• Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, Maharashtra state

Collaborators:

• Dr. S. A. Tamhankar, Dr. A. S. Upadhye and Dr. R. K. Choudhary, ARI
• Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan, BSI, Pune

Links:

• http://bsienvis.nic.in/PublicationDetails.aspx?SubLinkId=313&LinkId=625&Year=2014
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mandar_Datar
• https://aripune.academia.edu/MandarDatar

1. Vinaya S. Ghate, Hema Sane, Mandar N. Datar: Manual for Field Botany. 05/2010; MACS and Nisargsevak.

2. Satish Pande, Niranjan Sant, Vivek Vishwasrao, Mandar N. Datar: Wild Orchids of Northern Western Ghats. 01/2010; Tata Power and Ela Foundation., ISBN: 978-81-906955-4-1

3. Mandar Nilkanth Datar, P. Lakshminarasimhan: Flora of Bhagwan Mahavir (Molem) National Park and Adjoinings, Goa. 03/2013; Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata., ISBN: 81-8177-052-8

4. Mandar N. Datar, Anuradha Upadhye: Forest Foods of northern region of Western Ghats. 04/2016; Agharkar Research Institute., ISBN: 978-93-85735-10-3

5. Satish Pande, Mandar N. Datar: Seeds of Western India. 12/2016; Ela Foundation and Directorate of Social Forestry, Forest Department, Maharashtra., ISBN: 978-93-85735-38-7

Book Chapters

1. Mandar N. Datar, Anuradha S. Upadhye, Rohini Jadhav: Wild Relatives of Crop Plants from Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra: Diversity and Distribution. Advances in Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, First edited by S. Krishnan, B. F. Rodrigues, 08/2015: chapter Wild Relatives of Crop Plants from Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra: Diversity and Distribution: pages 17-27; Goa University., ISBN: 978-81-908791-4-9

2. Puroshottam Gorade, Mandar N. Datar: Protected Grasslands of Maharashtra: Diversity, Productivity, Threats and Conservation. Advances in Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, First edited by S. Krishnan, B. F. Rodrigues, 08/2015: chapter Protected Grasslands of Maharashtra: Diversity, Productivity, Threats and Conservation: pages 1-9; Goa University., ISBN: 978-81-908791-4-9

3. Mandar N. Datar, Vinaya S. Ghate: Sacred Groves for Conservation of Local Biodiversity: A Case Study of Sacred Groves in Velhe Taluka of Pune District. Sacred Groves of India, First edited by Nandita Krishna, M. Amirthalingam, 01/2014: pages 247-252; CPR Environmental Education Centre, Chennai., ISBN: 978-81-86901-24-3

Journal Publications

1. Puroshottam Gorade, Mandar N. Datar, Ritesh Kumar Choudhary, Prajakta S. Pathare: Ischaemum agharkarii (Andropogoneae, Poaceae), a new species from Northern Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 08/2016; 272(1). DOI:10.11646/phytotaxa.272.1.6

2. Anuradha S Upadhye, Mandar N. Datar, Priyanka Waghmode: In vitro flowering and fruiting of critically endangered plant Ceropegia rollae Hemadri. Indian Journal of Biotechnology 01/2016; 15(1).

3. Mandar N. Datar: Floristic diversity and effect of anthropogenic activities on human-dominated grasslands in subtropical regions of Peninsular India. 01/2016; 4(1):8. DOI:10.17138/TGFT(4)8-18

4. Mandar N. Datar, Rohini Jadhav, Anuradha S. Upadhye: Forest Foods of Northern Western Ghats: Mode of Consumption, Nutrition and Availability. Asian Agri-History 10/2015; 19(4):293-316.

5. Namrata S. Gaikwad, Mandar N. Datar: Notes on the distribution of some angiosperms from Maharashtra, India. 02/2015; 7(2):6940-6942. DOI:10.11609/JoTT.o3923.6940-2

6. Mandar N Datar, Puroshottam Gorade, Pratibha Nadgir, Abhijeet Bayani: Extended distribution of endemic Travancore Murainagrass Ischaemum travancorense Stapf ex C. E. C. Fisch. (Poaceae) to central India. 12/2014; 6(14):6733-6737. DOI:10.11609/JoTT.o4125.6733-6

7. Puroshottam Dattatraya Gorade, Mandar Nilkanth Datar: Checklist of Palatable Grass Species from Peninsular India. 12/2014; 6(4):441-447. DOI:10.1583/nsb649376

8. Umesh Awasarkar, Aboli Kulkarni, Mandar N. Datar, Anuradha Upadhye: Checklist of Angiosperms of Bhor Taluka, Pune District, Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, Based on Herbarium Records. Check List 09/2014; 10(4):835-849. DOI:10.15560/10.4.835

9. Aboli S. Kulkarni, Mandar N. Datar, Umesh Awasarkar, Anuradha S. Upadhye: Northernmost Distribution of Five Tree Species to the Western Ghats from Sacred Groves of Pune District, Maharashtra, India. 07/2014; 6(8):6090-6100. DOI:10.11609/JoTT.o3644.6093-100

10. Mandar Nilkanth Datar, Girish Pathak, Hemant V. Ghate: A note on the occurrence of Cucumis sativus L. forma hardwickii (Royle) W.J. De Wilde & Duyfjes (Cucurbitaceae) in peninsular India. 11/2013; 5(15):5010-5012. DOI:10.11609/JoTT.o3415.5010-2

11. Mandar Nilkanth Datar, P. Lakshminarasimhan: Check List of Wild Angiosperms of Bhagwan Mahavir (Molem) National Park, Goa, India. Check List. 01/2013; 9:186-207.

12. Bharati P. Rajput, Vinaya S. Ghate, Anuradha S. Upadhye, Mandar N. Datar: Tricotyledony in critically endangered plant, Ceropegia mahabalei Hemadri et Ansari (Apocynaceae). Current science 07/2012; 103(1):24-25.

13. Mandar N Datar, Vinaya S Ghate: Extended distribution of Smithsonia straminea CJ Saldanha, an endemic orchid in Maharashtra, India. 02/2012; 4:2406-2408. DOI:10.11609/JoTT.o2925.2406-8

14. Mandar Nilkanth Datar, Prakash D. Salelkar, P. Lakshminarasimhan: Eco-traditions of people living around Bhagwan Mahavir National Park in Goa. Asian Agri-History 10/2011; 15(4):303-313.

15. Mandar N Datar, P Lakshminarasimhan: Endemic Plants of Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park, Goa-an Analysis Based on their Habitat, Phenology and Life form Types. The Indian Forester. 01/2011; 137:1451-1456