Radhey Shyam Ambasht earned his BSc degree (year) from Agra University and MSc and PhD (year) degrees from the Banaras Hindu University under the guidance of Professor R Misra, FNA. Throughout his academic career Ambasht worked in the Botany Department, Banaras Hindu University as Professor (1982-96), and Head of the Department (1988-90). He continued to work as Professor Emeritus. Ambasht was INSA Senior Scientist during 2003-06.

Academic and Research Achievements: Professor Ambasht made extensive researches on species diversity, biomass productivity, nutrient cycling and plant adaptations in many different kinds of ecosystems like grasslands savanna, plantation, natural grasslands, lakes and river embankments. His highly innovative and original work on the conservation of soil, water runoff and nutrient losses are of great applied research value. He also studied two big lakes, khetasarai (Jaunpur) and Surhatal (at Ballia, 3000 ha) for their diversity of flora and fauna, water quality and for the surhatal the rate of nutrient and soil input from the surrounding agricultural lands of over 20 villages. During his four decades of teaching and research, he authored and co-authored nearly 200 papers and among others four editions of the book Environment and Pollution (1990-2004) and fifteen editions of a textbook of Plant Ecology (1969-2008). He edited three modern series books on (i) Ecology & Environment (Backhys Pub. Leiden, 1998), (ii) Applied Terrestrial Ecology and (iii) Applied Aquatic Ecology (both Kluwe / Plenum Academic Pub. New York 2003, now Springer, NY) and for the National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad he had edited a special volume on Wetland Ecology (2008).

Awards and Honours: Professor Ambasht was an elected Fellow of the National Institute of Ecology (Vice-President and President 1992-94), the National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad (1979). He was the Joint Secretary, Secretary and Treasurer of the International Society for Tropical Ecology.