Plant ecology was treated as separate subject of specialization under the leadership of Prof. S.B. Chaphekar during late 90's. He has initiated the process of adapting the ecological approach for the ongoing research activities in the department. Prof. V.R. Gunale and Dr. Rajendra Jagdale (currently The Director, Science and Technology Park, University of Pune) have proved instrumental in the functioning of the laboratory.

The laboratory is well connected with the School of Environmental Sciences and School of Health sciences. Further, the laboratory is keeping academic relations with the Department of Forest. Maharashtra State, Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board, Yeshwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration, Pune, Naoriji Godrej Centre for Plant Research, Satara, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.

Ecological analysis:
vegetation studies, community analysis, biotic and abiotic parameters analysis, spatial and temporal change detection, remote sensing. Algae and phytoplankton analysis to understand the water quality, monitoring of air and solid waste pollution in the systems, identification of bioindicators. for various developmental projects like dams, highways, hydroelectric power projects, mining industries etc.

publishing popular articles at national and local level through the print, efforts for community awareness about various environmental issues. Currently the work on bioremediation and phytoremediation is in progress under the leardership of Dr. A. B. Ade. Currently, Dr. T. D. Nikam and his research team is engaged in Micro propagation, Phytochemistry and Activity testing of Medicinal Plants, Isolation of bioactive compounds and their Structure elucidation. Studies in Genetic diversity in soybean and molecular markers for salt tolerance in collaboration with BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai).

Engineering salt tolerance in rice, isolation and characterization of salt inducible proteins in rice and other crop plants. His group is also working on making a Hotspot inventory on fragile ecosystems in collaboration with ISRO.