Professor Echeverri receives 2026 award from the Ecological Society of America

By DSE May 6, 2026

Today the Ecological Society of America (ESA) announced Alejandra Echeverri, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and DSE faculty advisor, is a recipient of the 2026 Sustainability Science Award. The award honors “Biocultural vulnerability of traditional crops in the Indian Trans-Himalaya," which was published in Science Advances last year. According to ESA, this research "makes the greatest contribution to the emerging science of ecosystem and regional sustainability through the integration of ecological and social sciences." Authors include Harman Jaggi (Princeton University), Akshata Anand (Nature Conservation Foundation, based in India), Katherine A. Solari (Stanford University), Echeverri, Rinchen Tobge (Nature Conservation Foundation), Tanzin Tsewang (Nature Conservation Foundation), Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi (Nature Conservation Foundation), and Shripad Tuljapurkar (Stanford University).

 

three people working in a rocky field under a blue sky
Researchers Harman Jaggi and Akshata Anand using pick axes to turn soil in the field. Credit: Harman Jaggi. 

The research examines the ecological resilience, genetic diversity and cultural and nutritional significance of traditional high-altitude crops in the western Himalaya, focusing on black pea and barley. Importantly, the study situates these findings within a broader socio-ecological context, showing how agricultural change reflects the disruption of long-standing relationships among people, plants and place. 

 

 

 

"Having all coauthors from the Global South on an award-winning paper is still far too rare," said Professor Echeverri. "This recognition is an affirmation of what rigorous, community-based science can look like: work that validates Traditional Ecological Knowledge and weaves together methods from farmer interviews to genomics and experimental biology."

 

Each year ESA recognizes outstanding contributions to ecology in new discoveries, teaching, sustainability, diversity and lifelong commitment to the profession. Dozens of faculty and graduate students from all over the world received 2026 awards, although Echeverri is the only faculty member or student at UC Berkeley to do so this year. 

 

People sitting in a green field harvesting peas
Six farmers sitting and harvesting green peas in Spiti, a high-altitude region of the Himalayas. Credit: Harman Jaggi

 

Findings: traditional crops have immense ecological and cultural value in northern India

 

close up of a black pea plant with a green field in the background
Close up of the black pea plant, a green stalk with white and red floral tips. Credit: Harman Jaggi

Through field experiments the authors show that the black pea and barley, which are traditional crops, outperform green peas (an introduced cash crop) in survival and reproductive traits. This suggests the traditional crops' adaptive potential under changing environmental conditions. 

 

 

 

 

Their findings further reveal that:

 

  • Black peas grow twice as fast as green peas. They are exceptionally nutritious: 21% protein per 100g, high in dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B1 and B3. For a predominantly vegetarian highland community, they're an outstanding plant-based protein source.
  • Shifts toward commercial crops have increased vulnerability to climate-related crop failure and contributed to erosion of agroecological diversity in the region.
  • This paper is an example of what the team calls "biocultural vulnerability" — the idea that ecological and cultural loss happen together. When black peas disappear from fields, they also disappear from recipes, ceremonies, and intergenerational knowledge.
  • The black pea is genetically distinct from related varieties. They don't fit neatly into any existing classification, clustering instead with ancient Indian and Tibetan landraces. The Himalayas appear to be an important secondary center of pea diversity — a kind of "genetic reservoir" (meaning unique genes) that the world didn't know it had. This underscores the black pea's value for climate-resilient food systems. 
  • Through collaboration with farmers across multiple villages, the authors demonstrate an integrative approach linking ecological science, genetic insight and local knowledge. 

 

 

“This year’s award recipients have each contributed something important to ecology, often in very different ways,” said ESA President Peter Groffman. “Whether through research, mentorship or service, they’ve helped strengthen the community and move the field forward. What stands out with this group is the consistency of impact over time. These are ecologists whose efforts have shaped the field, supported colleagues and created opportunities for others. I’m glad to see that kind of work acknowledged.”

 

ESA will formally present the awards at the Society’s upcoming Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. The ceremony will take place Monday, July 27, at 8 AM in the Salt Palace Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom. Learn more about ESA awards.

 

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The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach, and education initiatives. The Society’s Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at https://www.esa.org.
 

Schmidt DSE leverages the power of modern data and environmental science to create a healthy planet where people and nature can thrive. Launched in 2022, Schmidt DSE is a partnership between UC Berkeley's Rausser College of Natural Resources and the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, with the financial support of Eric and Wendy Schmidt. Read more about our work here.

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