Mahendra Mahato
- M.S., Biology, East Tennessee State University, 1990
- M.Sc., Zoology (Aquatic Ecology), Tribhuvan University, Nepal 1983
- B.Sc., Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal 1979
My research interest area is in benthic ecology, especially biomonitoring by using benthic macroinvertebrates. I started my benthic research work in the early 1980s while I was pursuing a higher degree in Nepal. Currently, I am pursuing my doctoral degree under Prof. Dr. James Kennedy at the University of North Texas (UNT), Denton TX. For my doctoral research work, I am evaluating urban impacted streams of Denton Texas by using benthic invertebrate colonization field experimental techniques. Streams in this semiarid region of the USA are heavily impacted by urbanization. In this region, minimally impacted reference sites are rarely found to make comparison. To overcome this problem, I am evaluating the toxic impact of urban water quality on benthic invertebrates colonized at the best available reference site and transferred them to the impacted sites. Prior to coming to UNT, I was involved in taxonomy and phylogeny of several groups of benthic invertebrates from both lentic and lotic habitats, with practical experience in chemical toxicity and food web studies. For my M.S. research work at the East Tennessee State University (ETSU), I evaluated the successful invasion of Dromogomphus spinosus dragonfly larvae from lotic to lentic habitats. While in Nepal, I studied the effects of paper mill effluent on benthic macroinvertebrates.
