Benju Baniya
College Station,USA
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Assistant
Texas A&M University
College Station, USA
08.2021 - Current
- Working on carbon flux measurements using the eddy covariance system (LI-7200, sonic anemometer and micrometeorological measurements) and chamber measurements (LI-8100) to quantify ecosystem and soil carbon fluxes
- Working as an Ameriflux data manager for three sites including US-NC2, US-NC4 and US-CRK
- Quantified forest carbon dynamics through comprehensive field studies of tree growth, respiration fluxes and understory vegetation
- Supervised and trained undergraduate researchers in field sampling protocols and laboratory analysis
- Lecturer in Fundamentals of Ecology Lab
Graduation Assistant
University of Florida/ Jones Center at Ichauway
Gainesville, USA
08.2019 - 08.2021
- Completed master's thesis on longleaf pine ecosystem restoration, integrating soil science, vegetation dynamics, and fire ecology
- Worked as a teaching assistant in Tree Biology and GIS
- Conducted field survey for soil sampling, understory vegetation sampling and prescribed fire measurement
- Prepared stable isotope samples in the lab for soil carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis
Research Officer
Nepal Agroforestry Foundation
, Nepal
03.2019 - 07.2019
- Led silvicultural demonstration programs and forest inventory assessments across private forestry initiatives in Sindhupalchowk and Kavre regions
- Assisted nursery training at Sindhupalchowk and Kavre
- Organized tree-planting programs to support the private forest of Sindhupalchowk and Kavre
Academic Researcher
Department of Forest, Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Nepal
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Conducted BS thesis research on pine forests across three community forests in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal integrating GIS mapping and forest inventory techniques
Education
PhD - Ecology and Conservation Biology
Texas A & M
College Station, Texas12-2025
MS - Forest Resources and Conservation
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida08-2021
BS - Forestry
Tribhuvan University
Kathmandu, Nepal07-2018
Skills
- Matlab and R programming
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Carbon flux measurement
- Eddy covariance data processing
- Ecosystem modeling
- Forest inventory
Publications
- Corrigendum to 'Energy availability and leaf area dominate control of ecosystem evapotranspiration in the southeastern US', Aguilos, M., Sun, G., Liu, N., Zhang, Y., Starr, G., Oishi, A. C., O'Halloran, T. L., Forsythe, J., Wang, J., Zhu, M., Amatya, D., Baniya, B., McNulty, S., Noormets, A., & King, J., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 350, 109986, 2024
- Re-Assembly of the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem: Effects of Groundcover Seeding on Understory Community, Fire Behavior and Soil Properties, Baniya, B., Bigelow, S. W., Sharma, A., Taylor, S., Vogel, J. G., & Brantley, S. T., Forests, 13, 4, 519, 2022
- Rapid Private Forests Owners Survey in Kavre and Sindhupalchok Districts of Nepal, Pandit, P., Baniya, B., Cedamon, E., Nuberg, I., Pandit, B.H., Research Paper Series on Improved Forest Management in Nepal, 2019, 1-26
- Growing Stock and Regeneration Status Assessment in Thinned and Un-thinned Stands of Community Managed Pine Plantation, Baniya, B., Mandal, R. A., Adhikari, S., & Shrestha, A., International Journal of Environment Sciences and Natural Resources, 20, 1, 1-7, 2019
- Effects of Irregular Shelterwood System on Regeneration Frequency and Species Richness, Shrestha, A., Mandal, R. A., & Baniya, B., Agriculture and Forestry Journal, 3, 2, 50-57, 2019
- Assessment of Plant Competition and Tree Typical Crown Area in Thinned and Un-Thinned Stands of Community Managed Pine Plantation, Baniya B. & Mandal, R., Annals of Archaeology, 1, 1, 42-47, 2018
Presentations
- Carbon Dynamics in a Shortleaf Pine Forest Amidst a Two-Year Drought, Baniya, B., Kim D., Nkrumah, M., Ono, M., Miao, G., Noormets, A., AGU Fall Meeting, 2024
- Seasonal dynamics of carbon allocation in a shortleaf pine forest, Baniya, B., Kim D., Nkrumah, M., Noormets, A., AGU Fall Meeting, 2023
- US-CRK: new carbon allocation observatory in shortleaf pine, Baniya, B., Kim D., Nkrumah, M., Noormets, A., Ameriflux meeting, 2023
- High-Frequency Carbon Isotope Measurements for Investigating Forest Carbon Allocation Dynamics, Kim D., Baniya, B., Nkrumah, M., Ono M., Noormets, A., 2023
- Is Drought the Primary Driver of the Seasonality of Carbon Allocation in a Subtropical Pine Forest?, Kim, D., Baniya, B., Ono, M., Noormets, A., AGU Fall Meeting, 2022
- Effects of understory seeding on ecosystem properties in planted longleaf pine forest, Baniya, B., Bigelow, S.W., Brantley, S.T., Taylor R. S., Vogel, J.G., & Sharma, A., Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, 2021
- Effects of Planting Warm Season C4 Grasses on Ecosystem Properties in Planted Longleaf Pine Woodlands, Baniya, B., Bigelow, S. W., Sharma, A., Taylor, S., Vogel, J. G., & Brantley, S. T., SAF National Convention, 2021
Accomplishments
- Ann Miller Gonzalez Graduate Research Grant from the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) (2024)
- ECCB Travel grant (2024)
- Graduate Student Research and Presentation Travel Award, Texas A&M, University (2023)
- ECCB Travel grant (2023)
- Ameriflux Fluxcourse scholarship (2023)
- Borlaug International scholar Award, Texas A&M University (2021, 2022 and 2023)
- Graduate Assistantship, The Jones Center at Ichauway (2019)
- Graduate Assistant, University of Florida (2019)
- Research grant, Department of Forest, Nepal (2017)
Languages
English
Professional
Nepali
Professional
Hindi
Elementary
References
- Asko Noormets, PhD, Professor, Texas A&M University, (979) 862-7528, noormets@tamu.edu
- Seth W. Bigelow, PhD, Senior Research Ecologist, Tall Timbers, Florida, sbigelow@talltimbers.org
Timeline
Graduate Assistant
Texas A&M University
08.2021 - Current
Graduation Assistant
University of Florida/ Jones Center at Ichauway
08.2019 - 08.2021
Research Officer
Nepal Agroforestry Foundation
03.2019 - 07.2019
Academic Researcher
Department of Forest, Kathmandu
01.2017 - 01.2018
PhD - Ecology and Conservation Biology
Texas A & M
MS - Forest Resources and Conservation
University of Florida
BS - Forestry
Tribhuvan University
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