Faculty Profile

Dr. Mahmuda Sharmin

Associate Professor

Contact Information

  • Office Address: Associate Professor Institute of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh
  • Phone: +8801671635120
  • Email: sharmin-fes@sust.edu, benu.mahmuda@gmail.com

Biography

I am committed to extending our understanding of how greenspaces can support multiple ecosystem services in urban areas, including mitigating heat and supporting biodiversity. My research and professional experience reflect my commitment and include working in Which Plant Where, an Australian industry Hort innovation funded project (https://www.whichplantwhere.com.au/). I designed, led and executed multiple independent projects in Sydney, NSW, Australia and in Bangladesh. This entailed working closely with city councils, urban experts and researchers to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, as per SDG 11 and SDG 3.

Education

  • Ph.D. Hawkesbury Institute for Environment (HIE), Western Sydney University, Sydney
  • M.Sc. in Applied Ecology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
  • M.Sc. in Forestry, Dept of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
  • B. Sc. in Forestry, Dept of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Research Interests

  • Urban Forestry
  • Functional Ecology
  • Vegetation ecology
  • Plant soil interaction
  • Statistics

Active Research Project

  • Urban Vegetation: Towards Cooler, Biodiverse Cities of the Future
  • Shrubs and complex habitat structures help to boost invertebrate biodiversity in urban greenspaces
  • Land use change driven climate change in Bangladesh. Funded by University Research Centre (URC), Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST), Bangladesh (2022-2023)
  • Effect of air pollution, rising temperature and fluctuated precipitation on the growth of two major tree species of Bangladesh
  • Urban trees are not equally distributed within Australian cities

Journal Publish

  • 1. Tree crown traits and planting context contribute to reducing urban heat
  • 2. Tree Traits and Microclimatic Conditions Determine Cooling Benefits of Urban Trees
  • 3. Are Diamond’s assembly rules applicable to tropical threatened vascular plants assemblages in the Tarap Hill Reserve in Bangladesh?
  • 4. India in the Oil Palm Era: Describing India’s Dependence on Palm Oil, Recommendations for Sustainable Production, and Opportunities to Become an Influential Consumer.
  • 5. Relationship between Diversity and Productivity at Ratargul Fresh Water Swamp Forest in Bangladesh
  • 6. Tree assemblages and diversity patterns in Tropical Juri Forest, Bangladesh
  • 7. Environmental correlates of vegetation distribution in tropical Juri forest, Bangladesh
  • 8. Disentangling the role of soil in structuring tropical tree communities at Tarap Hill Reserve of Bangladesh

External Affiliations

  • Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia

Awards & Recognition

  • Prime Minister Gold Medal Award
  • Erasmus Mundus Masters scholarship for The International Master in Applied Ecology
  • Hort Inovation Scholarship for Doctor of Philosophy

Teaching

  • Forest Botany
  • Tree Physiology
  • Dendrology
  • Forest Based Natural Resource Management
  • Social Forestry and Forest Extension