Pema Dendup | Conservation biology | Most Reader’s Article Award

Mr. Pema Dendup | Conservation biology | Most Reader’s Article Award

Dy. Chief Forestry Officer at Divisional Forest Office-Sarpang, DoFPS, RGoB, Bhutan

Mr. Pema Dendup is a Bhutanese national serving as the Deputy Chief Forestry Officer at the Divisional Forest Office in Sarpang, Bhutan. He is affiliated with the Department of Forests and Park Services under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Royal Government of Bhutan. With extensive experience in forestry and conservation, Mr. Dendup has held various roles, including Sr. Forestry Officer at Jigme Dorji National Park and Researcher at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research. He holds a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Kent, UK, and has been recognized for his contributions with awards such as the Royal Civil Service Award (Silver Medal) and scholarships from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology. His career spans teaching, research, and leadership in environmental management, emphasizing sustainable practices and biodiversity conservation in Bhutan.

Professional Profiles:

📚 Education:

Mr. Pema Dendup pursued his Master of Science in Conservation Biology at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, United Kingdom, from 2018 to 2019. Prior to this, he completed a Bachelor of Science in Forestry with a major in Applied Conservation Science at the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, spanning from 2012 to 2014. His academic journey began with a Diploma in Forestry at the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, which he completed from 1998 to 2001. For his Master’s thesis, Mr. Pema Dendup conducted research on the distribution, habitat requirements, and threat analysis of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the Khamaed sub-district of Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan. His Bachelor’s thesis focused on studying the influence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the presence of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) in Thrumshingla National Park, Bhutan.

Pofessional Experience:

Mr. Pema Dendup has held various significant roles in the field of forestry and conservation. Currently serving as the Deputy Chief Forestry Officer at the Divisional Forest Office in Sarpang, Sarpangtar, SARPANG since 2024, he oversees strategic forestry management and conservation efforts. Prior to this role, from 2020 to 2023, he served as a Senior Forestry Officer at Jigme Dorji National Park in Damji, GASA, contributing to biodiversity conservation and park management. In 2016, he briefly acted as the Officiating Park Manager at Jigme Dorji National Park, GASA, before continuing as a Forestry Officer until 2019. His career in forestry began as a Forest Ranger at Phrumsengla National Park in Ura, BUMTHANG, where he served from 2001 to 2010. Between 2010 and 2015, he furthered his expertise as a Researcher at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research in Lamai Goempa, BUMTHANG, focusing on environmental research and conservation initiatives.

Teaching Experience:

Mr. Pema Dendup has extensive experience in teaching and curriculum development within the field of conservation and forestry. Recently, he served as an adjunct lecturer, instructing 4th-year BSc Forestry students at the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, during the Fall Semester of 2023, focusing on Applied Conservation Science. From April 2010 to December 2015, he played a pivotal role at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research in Bhutan. Here, he facilitated a One-Year Certificate Course in Conservation, Environment, and Forestry Studies, emphasizing forest surveying and mapping techniques. Additionally, Mr. Dendup designed tailor-made courses for forestry officials from protected areas and territorial forest divisions, covering topics such as the application of GIS and GPS in conservation, rapid biodiversity assessment techniques, and survey designing and reporting.

Awards:

Mr. Pema Dendup has been recognized for his exceptional achievements throughout his academic and professional career. In 2023, he was specially nominated by the Royal Civil Service Commission for the Leadership Development Program, marking his leadership potential as a P3 level officer at the Royal Institute of Management in Thimphu. He received the Royal Civil Service Award (Silver Medal) in 2022 from His Majesty the King of Bhutan for his dedicated 20 years of service in the civil sector. In 2019, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, UK, supported by a prestigious scholarship from DICE. Prior to this, he achieved Outstanding Performance as the top student in the forestry faculty, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry (major in Applied Conservation Science) from the College of Natural Resources in 2014.

📚Publications :

Photographic evidence suggests habitat overlap and co-occurrence of tigers and snow leopards in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan

Authors: Pema Dendup, C. Lham

Source: ORYX, 2024, 58(1), pp. 121–124

Tiger abundance and ecology in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan

Authors: Pema Dendup, C. Lham, W. Wangchuk, Y. Jamtsho

Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, 2023, 42, e02378

Citations: 2

First confirmed record of a woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus sp.) in Bhutan

Authors: Y. Jamtsho, Pema Dendup, L. Wangdi, R. Dorji, B. Tshering

Source: Journal of Vertebrate Biology, 2022, 71(22007), 22007

Bird diversity and conservation threats in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan

Authors: Pema Dendup, L. Wangdi, Y. Jamtsho, C. Lham, B. Tshering

Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, 2021, 30, e01771

Citations: 10

Status, distribution and conservation of red panda Ailurus Fulgens in Bhutan

Authors: L. Letro, T. Tandin, S. Wangdi, Pema Dendup, J. Millar

Source: Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda, Second Edition, 2021, pp. 463–474

Habitat requirements of the Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and threat analysis in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan

Authors: Pema Dendup, T. Humle, D. Bista, C. Lham, J. Gyeltshen

Source: Ecology and Evolution, 2020, 10(17), pp. 9444–9453

Citations: 8

Winter distribution and poaching of musk deer, Moschus chrysogaster and Moschus leucogaster in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan

Authors: Pema Dendup, Namgay, C. Lham

Source: International Journal of Conservation Science, 2018, 9(1), pp. 193–198

Citations: 10

Response of the Endangered red panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens to anthropogenic disturbances, and its distribution in Phrumsengla National Park, Bhutan

Authors: Pema Dendup, E. Cheng, C. Lham, U. Tenzin

Source: ORYX, 2017, 51(4), pp. 701–708

Citations: 12

Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan: A hot spot for wild felids

Authors: T. Tempa, M. Hebblewhite, L.S. Mills, Y. Wangdi, T. Dorji

Source: ORYX, 2013, 47(2), pp. 207–210

Citations: 23