vtorseka@gitam.edu
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Before joining GITAM as an Assistant Professor, Viraj did two postdoctoral fellowships - at the Indian Institute of Science and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He did his PhD at the Centre for Ecological Sciences in Indian Institute of Science.
He is an ecologist researching predator-prey interactions in natural populations and is interested in how animals manage risk and the consequences of their defense responses on mating patterns, evolutionary processes, and ecosystem dynamics.
Research Publications
- Torsekar VR, Sagi N, Daniel JA, Hawlena Y, Gavish-Regev E and Hawlena D (2024) Contrasting responses to aridity by different-sized decomposers cause similar decomposition rates across a precipitation gradient. eLife, 13:RP93656
- Torsekar VR, Lajmi A and Hawlena D, Prudent burrow-site selection in a landscape of fear. Biology Letters, 19(10), 20230271 (cover article)
- Torsekar VR, Zaguri M and Hawlena D, Predation risk regulates prey assortative mating by reducing the expected reproductive value of mates. Ecology, 104(2), e3869 (cover article)
- Torsekar, VR and Thaker, M, Mate searching context of prey influences the predator-prey space race. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287, 20201462 (cover article)
- Torsekar, VR and Balakrishnan R, Sex differences in alternative reproductive tactics and fitness consequences in response to varying predation risk in tree crickets. Functional Ecology, 34 (11), 2326– 2337
Ongoing Research Projects
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Persistence of flexible alternative reproductive tactics in a tree cricket - Sadiq MA, Torsekar VR and Balakrishnan R
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An ecological framework to understand satellite behaviour - Torsekar VR and Bernal X
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Mixed species schooling: when and how do fish school with different species? - Torsekar VR, Jahanvi T, and Guttal V
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How will climate change regulate species interactions?
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How does habitat and nutrition mediate reproductive consequences of risk management in tree crickets
Expertise
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Behavioural ecology, Predator-prey interactions, Evolutionary Ecology, Ecosystem Ecology
Authored Books
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NA
