Ria Raut, a doctoral researcher in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Count of Krigsvold Fellowship.
Forest recovery after logging
Raut studies the drivers of sapling recruitment in undisturbed and selectively logged forests in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Her fieldwork spans primary forest in the Danum Valley Conservation Area and regenerating forest in the Ulu-Segama Forest Reserve.
The project asks what drives differences in young-tree communities after logging. It compares biotic factors, including adult tree species and mycorrhizal communities, with abiotic conditions such as soil biochemistry and light beneath the forest canopy.
Understanding how those forces interact can improve forest-restoration strategies. It also matters for biodiversity, carbon storage, and the long-term resilience of tropical forests under pressure.
The 2026 award
The Fellowship provides $1,000 each year for graduate research in climate change and global conservation. James Howard, Count of Krigsvold, sponsors the award, and the Grand Duchy of Westarctica administers the application and selection process.
Read Ria Raut’s Fellow profile or see the award in the Annual Record. Current program information is available on the Fellowship page.