Chaya obtained her BSc degree in Applied Sciences specializing in biodiversity conservation from the Rajarata University and MSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Her PhD is from Kunming Institute of Botany, UCAS, China. She then worked as a post-doc at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her current research focus is interdisciplinary with a lead on ecology. She has interest and expertise in research related to land use changes, land sharing & sparing policies, ecosystem services, agroforestry, socio-economics and coastal ecosystems. Previously she worked with the World Agroforestry Centre and Belt & Road Initiative on biodiversity and ecosystem service-related projects in Asia and Africa. Moreover, she is sharing her experience and knowledge as the Research and strategy associate at Stable Planet Alliance and also provides services as an external technical expert on forestry related carbon projects.
Ecology
Biodiversity conservation, Land use changes, Land sharing & sparing policies, Ecosystem services, Agroforestry, Coastal ecosystems, Sustainable natural resource management, socio-economics
Work experience
- Temporary senior lecturer: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Sri Lanka (2023 onwards)
- Research and strategy associate: Stable Planet Alliance (2022 onwards)
- External Technical Expert: The Sustainable Future Group (2021 onwards)
- Postdoc: Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2019-2021)
- Junior Project leader: World Agroforestry Centre, Green rubber project, WP5 group (biodiversity & ecosystem services monitoring) (2014 – 2017)
- Sub warden: Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2013-2014)
- Teaching assistant: Department of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University, Sri Lanka (2012–2014)
- Junior management accountant/part time: Lab Nadee medical services (2008–2013)
Wickramasinghe, S., Wijayasinghe, M., Sarathchandra, C. (2022). Sri Lankan Mangroves: Biodiversity, Livelihoods, and Conservation. In: Das, S.C., Pullaiah, Ashton, E.C. (eds) Mangroves: Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Conservation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0519-3_13
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Gbadamassi G.O. Dossa, Niranjan Bhakta Ranjitkar, Huafang Chen, Zhai Deli, Sailesh Ranjitkar, Kaluwa Handi Wasana Lalanthi de Silva, Sriyani Wickramasinghe, Jianchu Xu, Rhett D. Harrison 2018. Effectiveness of protected areas in preventing land conversion and deforestation in Xishuangbanna, South West China. Land degradation and development 2018, 29(8), 2417-2427. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2970
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Stephan Kambach, Sameera Chathuranga Ariyarathna, Jianchu Xu, Rhett D. Harrison and Sriyani Wickramasinghe 2018. Significance of Mangrove Biodiversity Conservation in Fishery Production and Living Conditions of Coastal Communities in Sri Lanka. Diversity 2018, 10(2), 20; doi: 10.3390/d10020020
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Yirga Alemu Abebe, Fiona Ruth Worthy, Iresha Lakmali Wijerathne, Huaixia Ma, Bi Yingfeng, Guo Jiayu, Huafang Chen, Qiaoshun Yan, Yanfei Geng, Dayani S. Weragodad , Li-Li Li, Yang Fengchun, Sriyani Wickramasinghe and Jianchu Xu 2021. Impact of land use and land cover changes on carbon storage in rubber dominated tropical Xishuangbanna, South West China. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 2021, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20964129.2021.1915183
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Yirga Alemu Abebe, Iresha Lakmali Wijerathne, Sasith Tharanga Aluthwattha, Sriyani Wickramasinghe and Zhiyun Ouyang 2021. A review of Ecosystem services studies in Sri Lanka: key perspectives for future research. Forests 2021, 12(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/f12050540
- Georg Albert, Silvia Gallegos, Mario Hanisch, Daniela Limache de la Fuente, Stephanie Lorenz, Stephanie Maier, Helen R. P. Philips, Chaya Sarathchandra, Stephan Kambach 2021. The value of tree plantations for conserving forest beetle (Coleoptera) communities: a global meta-analysis, Forest Ecology and Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119201
- Feng-Chun Yang, Chaya Sarathchandra, Jing-Xin Liu, Hua-Ping Huang, Jian-Yong Gou, Ye Li, Xiao-Ye Mao, Hui-Ting Wen, Kritana Prueksakorn, Hong Anh Thi Nguyen, 2021. How fern and fern allies respond to heterogeneous habitat – A comparison in Yuanjiang Dry-Hot Valley. Communicative & Integrative Biology. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2021.2007591
- Feng-Chun Yang, Jing-Xin Liu, Hua-Ping Huang, Jian-Yong Gou, Ye Li, Xian Chen, Hui-Ting Wen, Kritana Prueksakorn, Hong Anh Nguyen, Chaya Sarathchandra (2022). Biodiversity and Species Distribution patterns in the low land of Yuanjiang Dry-Hot Valley.https://www.authorea.com/doi/full/10.22541/au.164864248.85137373
- Chaya Sarathchandra and Sriyani Wickramasinghe. Breeding performance of Yellow – Eared Bulbuls in Riverstan of Dumbara Massif . Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium Vol. 17 (2012). https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v17i0.650
Chaya Sarathchandra, Rhett Harrison, Jianchu Xu (2017). Effectiveness of Land Sparing Strategies in Preventing Land Conversion and Deforestation: A Case Study in Protected Areas of Xishuangbanna, Southern China. International Congress of Ecology , Beijing, China 2017.
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Sriyani Wickramasinghe (2016). Conservation of endemic Pycnonotus penicillatus considering the relative impacts of landscape change on its ecology in Knuckles mountain range of Sri Lanka. Student Conference on Conservation Science, Beijing, China, 2016.
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Rhett Harrison, Jianchu Xu (2016). Modeling Ecosystem Service Values in Xishuangbanna: Considering the relative roles of land sharing and sparing for biodiversity conservation. The Global Land Project third Open Science Meeting, China, 2016.
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Wickramasinghe,S.(2012) Feeding behavior and habitat preferences of Pycnonotus penicillatusin Northern flank of Knuckles mountain range, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science Proceedings of the 68th, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2012.
- Chaya Sarathchandra, Wickramasinghe,S.(2012) Significance of Community Participation in Threat Identification and Conservation of Pambala Mangrove Ecosystem, 4thInternational Conference on Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Negombo, Sri Lanka, 2012.
- Chaya Sarathchandra,Wickramasinghe,S.(2011) Biodiversity of Chilaw Mangrove Ecosystem in Sri Lanka. Students Conference in Conservation Science, Bangalore, India, 2011.
Awards, Scholarships
