Aalap Dixit brings each of his classes to Lake Carl Blackwell. His students practice collecting data from the ponderosa pine trees to help them learn how to monitor the health of the forest. (Photo courtesy of Jami Musshafen)

Up with the pines: NREM assistant professor brings forestry experience to OSU

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu

On the west coast of India in Gir National Park, Aalap Dixit found himself as a high school student volunteering to collect Asiatic lions’ scat.

“It shows how simple work like that can give great insights on what the animals are eating and the ecological complexity of it all,” said Dixit, assistant professor and silviculture specialist for the Oklahoma State University Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.

As a volunteer at the park, Dixit participated in different work related to species management.

His experiences turned into a curiosity for habitat and environment management and, eventually, silviculture, he said.

“Silviculture is one of those disciplines where anyone who is in forestry or wildlife is applying some component of it,” Dixit said. “I specialize in restoration and reforestation.”

Although many kinds of trees grow well in Oklahoma, Dixit focuses his research on pine trees because he enjoys studying their physiology, he said.

Dixit earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, which is in India. His experiences there led him to pursue a master’s degree in environmental studies and natural resource management at TERI University, also in India, he said.

“My master’s focused on tropical forest restoration,” Dixit said. “That is where I got into restoration ecology.”

The focus on forest restoration led Dixit to earning his doctorate in forest science from Northern Arizona University in 2021, he said.

After earning his doctorate, Dixit became an assistant professor at New Mexico Highlands University.

At NMHU, he continued his research on large-scale reforestation projects, focusing on improving drought tolerance in pine seedlings to increase survival rates.

Although Dixit continued his research, most of his job included teaching forestry classes and advising students, he said.

“For me, he is not only a professor,” said Ashal Shrestha, one of Dixit’s previous students and teaching assistants from NMHU. “He is a friend.”

Shrestha plans to begin his doctoral degree at New Mexico State University in Fall 2025.

“One of the reasons I got accepted at NMSU is because of Dr. Dixit,” Shrestha said.

The NMSU professor looking for a doctoral student wanted someone with prior experience with ImageJ software, which Dixit had taught Shrestha, he said.

“It is one of those things where you teach all the tools and tricks to your students and some of those click down the line,” Dixit said.

Dixit tries to get his students interested in research by blending research and teaching and by introducing his students to big-picture ideas, he said.

“Once you start having those conversations about big-picture ideas, it’s like a piece of a puzzle, and things start coming together,” Dixit said.

Dixit wants to motivate his students to find a passion for a certain research problem to be able to do a project well, he said.

“Science is repetitive, so it is important to be invested,” Dixit said. “With master’s students, there is already a degree of interest and motivation in a project. I want to channel that energy into the right direction.”

Dixit simplified the research process and made it more engaging for his students, Shrestha said.

“He would share cool and new ideas on forestry research and encourage me to publish papers and work on research for the future,” Shrestha added.

One of Dixit’s goals in teaching and advising is to mentor students, so they can serve the state in some capacity, whether at OSU or in forestry services, Dixit said.

Dixit joined the NREM department as an assistant professor Jan. 1, 2025. Although Dixit enjoys teaching and mentoring students, he said his role at OSU involves teaching as well as more research, which he is excited about.

Dixit plans to continue his restoration work and use the Target Plant Concept to identify seed sources that will grow well in Oklahoma, he said.

“Target Plant Concept is where instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, we use a specialized approach,” Dixit said. “We figure out what characteristics a tree should have that will allow it to thrive, survive, and perform better at a planting site.”

Using TPC will help Dixit identify good seed genetics and nursery practices to produce high-quality seedlings for Oklahoma, he said.

“Dr. Dixit is trying to figure out what we can do to give these little seedlings the best start,” said Casey Meek, assistant superintendent of the OSU Kiamichi Forestry Research Station in Idabel, Oklahoma.

Dixit plans to take over projects from previous staff members who have left the station and write proposals to continue researching loblolly pine and shortleaf pine species, he said.

Because of his interest in those two species, Dixit can help commercial growers and conservation stakeholders, Meek added.

“Shortleaf pine is a species that is more native here,” Meek said. “It is used more for conservation and wildlife, and it gets overlooked sometimes because it is not a commercial, fast-growing loblolly pine.”

One project Dixit will work on is growing a shortleaf pine orchard, Meek said.

Orchards are important in forestry research because trees take a long time to grow, and researchers need to be able to follow the trees for upward of 30 years and then multiple generations after, Meek said.

“It is not enough to have a seedling and say that it is performing superiorly,” Meek said. “What we need to know is how that tree is going to act in 10, 20 or 30 years.

“Row crop farmers get their results every year, but it takes 20 to 30 years to see our improvements,” Meek added.

Research can help answer many questions about fire, drought, grassland encroachment and other forestry issues in Oklahoma, Dixit said.

“TPC research has been done on that for other regions but not specifically Oklahoma,” Dixit said. “We need to figure out specific practices for our region and what will work for landowners here.”

What is Silviculture?

An ecosystem must be maintained and sustained — managed — for it to thrive.
Silviculture is the art and science of managing forest ecosystems. The goal is to maintain and improve forest productivity, diversity and resiliency in the reforestation pipeline.
The four stages of the reforestation cycle create a feedback loop for researchers to improve forestry efforts.
The first stage is seed research. The second stage is growing those seedlings in the nursery. Stage three is planting, and stage four is monitoring the planted seedlings.

Source: OSU NREM

Story by Jami Musshafen | Cowboy Journal