I am a PhD student on the GEN-Z project and I study the role of zooplankton on overall biogeochemical fluxes in lakes. My thesis is cosupervised by Prof. Jake Vander-Zanden, from the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Research Interests
My previous research endeavors have centered around investigating the intricate dynamics and interrelationships among various ecological components within aquatic systems, and the influence of the changing environment on them. Some of my pursuits have also sought to deliver research driven freshwater conservation and management interventions. Additionally, I harbor an interest in empirically exploring fundamental ecological concepts, with the hopes to unravel mysteries of the aquatic realm.
My recent research contribution was to an outdoor mesocosm experiment, which aimed to assess the impact of a projected climate warming scenario on zooplankton communities in temperate shallow lakes. Currently, as part of my doctoral research, I am engaged in the “Gen_Z” project that seeks to provide a mechanistic understanding of the temporal and spatial dynamics of lake zooplankton and their implications for lake biogeochemistry and potentially larger ecological process.
Biography
2024 – present: PhD student at UNIL
2022 – 2024: Junior Professional and Technical Support to the Asia-Oceania Region in the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands in Switzerland
2022: Independent Project related to Lake Management in Nepal
2019 – 2021: Masters in Biology (Aquatic Ecology) in Lund University in Sweden
2018 – 2019: Research Assistant in the Kathmandu University in Nepal
2016 – 2018: Research Assistant in a research organization called “SmartPhones4Water” in Nepal
Publications
Devkota, N., Salis, R.K. and Hansson, L.A. (2023). Warming reshapes the invertebrate predation pressure on the plankton community. Freshwater Biology, 68(3), pp.365-377.
Prajapati, R., Overkamp, N.N., Moesker, N., Happee, K., van Bentem, R., Danegulu, A., Manandhar, B., Devkota, N., Thapa, A.B., Upadhyay, S. and Talchabhadel, R. (2021). Streams, sewage, and shallow groundwater: stream-aquifer interactions in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 7(5), p.72.
Davids, J.C., Devkota, N., Pandey, A., Prajapati, R., Ertis, B.A., Rutten, M.M., Lyon, S.W., Bogaard, T.A. and Van de Giesen, N. (2019). Soda bottle science—citizen science monsoon precipitation monitoring in Nepal. Frontiers in earth science, 7, p.46.
Davids, J.C., Rutten, M.M., Pandey, A., Devkota, N., Van Oyen, W.D., Prajapati, R. and Van De Giesen, N., (2019). Citizen science flow–an assessment of simple streamflow measurement methods. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 23(2), pp.1045-1065.