The Division undertakes research on human dimensions of forestry, including livelihood and recreation. It addresses research issues in social sciences encompassing forestry and environmental conservation and probes into linkages between social and natural sciences.
The major areas of research are human dimensions of natural/forest resource management, economic valuation, sustainable utilization of non-timber forest products, policy issues and strategic planning, sustainable forest management, participatory role of local communities in the conservation and sustainable management of forest ecosystem, resource use conflict and livelihood issues and agro-forestry systems.The Division consists of Forest Economics, Agro-forestry, Sociology and Urban Forestry disciplines. Assessment of supply-demand position of wood for the State, estimation of availability of bamboo in home gardens, evaluation of the livelihood conditions of bamboo workers in Kerala and establishment of a model watershed with the active participation of people are some of the recent achievements of the Division.
Land-use change and its impacts on biophysical and socio-economic aspects.
Capacity building of tribal community for NWFP management and eco-development
Participatory forest management and eco-development alternatives: Initiatives and challenges in Kerala.
Economic valuation of ecotourism development in the natural forests of southern Western Ghats.
Commercial volume tables for home garden trees.
Estimation of moisture content in bamboo culms for deriving price conversion factors.
Dr. PK Muraleedharan
Dr. Mammen Chundamannil
Dr. CN Krishnankutty
Dr. V Anitha
Dr. S Sankar