Madhab Chandra Dash

Madhab Chandra Dash (born 1939 in Puri, Odisha) is an Indian ecologist and environmental biologist. He is currently a member of the Appellate Authority, Water (PCP) Act, 1974 Government of Orissa. He is a former vice chancellor of Sambalpur University (2001–2004).

Dash taught ecology at the School of Life Sciences, in Sambalpur University from 1973 until 1997 and was instrumental in expansion of the department as well as making it one of the early academic departments in India to focus on a broader life science curricula. He became a full professor in 1975 and was the head of the department from 1974 until 1987. He completed an undergraduate degree in Zoology (Honours) from Ravenshaw College in Cuttack and later completed a masters in Zoology at Utkal University. His thesis was titled "Ecology of enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) in Rocky Mountain forest soils (Kananaskis region, Alberta, Canada)".

After completing his PhD, he returned to India and help grow biological sciences in the State of Orissa and joined the School of Life Sciences at Sambalpur University.

His work on vermitechnology was one of the earliest in India during the late 1970s and he produced one of the early studies on turtle migration and breeding on the coast of Orissa (Gahirmatha). He co-authored one of the earliest book on turtle migrations and population studies to the east coast of India, Gahirmatha in Orissa in 1990.

Dash has been an expert advisor to the "House Committee on Environment" of Orissa Legislative Assembly, Government of Orissa since 2005.

Awards and recognition Dash was awarded by the State Government of the Orissa in 1991 its highest scientific honour (Samanta Chandrasekhar Award) for his seminal contributions of life sciences research.

He is a fellow of Fellow, National Academy of Science (Allahabad), India and a Fellow, National Institute of Ecology (New Delhi), India.

Two species of Indian earthworms have been named after him for his contribution to the field of vermitechnology.

Selected Books and Book Chapters

Dash, M.C. 1979. Consumers in "Grassland Ecosystems of the World" (Ed. T.T. Coupland), Cambridge University Press, U.K. 609.653 p.

Dash, M.C. (co-author), 1980. Decomposer Subsystems. In "Grassland Systems Analysis and Man". (Eds. Breymeyer and van Dyne). Cambridge University Press, U.K. 609–653 p.

Dash, M.C. 1987. The Other Annelids (other than Polychaetes). In "Animal Energetics Vol. I" (Eds. Pandian and Vernberg). Academic Press, USA. 261–299.

Dash, M.C. 1993. Fundamentals of Ecology. Tata- McGraw Hill, New Delhi (1999, 5th Reprint), 2nd revised edition 2001, 10th reprint, 2008, 525 p., 3rd revised edition, 2009 (in Press)

Dash, M.C. 2000. Role of Enchytraeids in Tropical Agro eco-systems. "In management of Tropical Agro eco-systems and the beneficial of soil Biota". Oxford & IBH Publication (P) Ltd.

Dash, M.C. 2004. Ecology, Chemistry and Management of Environmental Pollution. Macmillan India Ltd., New Delhi. 322 p.

Dash M. C. (2012). Charles Darwin's Plough: Tools for Vermitechnology. IK International Publishers. .