In India, forest management has ushered a change process for forestry development administrators. Sustainability, productivity and adaptability are the core issues to be addressed. The corporate revitalisation is required for the effective institutionalisation of governance. It may be attained through better coordination, commitment and new competencies. The newer capacities and competencies need the research support. The required research support does not relate to only silviculture but related dimensions of social change process. The scope of silviculture research has undergone a change where the researcher has to look beyond timber. The current communication focuses upon newer silvicultural dimensions such as associated action research, market research, social and policy research to be probed. The research structures need to be strengthened and the research information management group (RIMG) in each state may be formed for effective dissemination of research results. The paper calls for immediate research support systems for effective governance with the forest departments. 

Minerals greatly influence the economic growth of any country. However, extensive mining can adversely affect the natural environment in the form of loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, contamination of surface and ground water. Therefore, restoration and reclamation of mined sites become priority areas of intervention. This review paper deals with history, current status and priorities of forestry research in the area of mine reclamation in India. The foresters need to align their activities in line with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration during 2021-2030.

In India, the development process from Protected Area management to landscape level conservation planning has traversed through several species conservation initiatives and pilot projects. However, the latter approach faces enormous challenges.  In this paper we review the existing management practices in the country that deal with landscape approach to conservation, identify bottlenecks and suggest way forward, particularly relevant to forestry and wildlife sectors. Highlighting the major areas of research and action, this paper advocates the urgent need to build on the experiences from the sites, which have developed some foundation for such initiatives through earlier projects. 

Agroforestry in India has earned popularity by meeting the domestic and industrial wood requirement besides satisfying the needs of other ecosystem services. However, it’s promotion has met with numerous  challenges like lack of organizational and institutional structure coupled with marketing /consumption and technological challenges. These challenges were resolved through technological, organizational and marketing interventions. The High Yielding Short Rotation (HYSR) clones, precision silvicultural technology, multi functional agroforestry models and value addition technology resulted in establishment of over 75000 hectare of plantation during the period between 2008 and 2018 in association with paper, plywood, match wood, timber and biomass power generation industries. The conceptualization and implementation of bi, tri and quad-partite model contract farming has ensured organizational interventions and brought the agroforestry stakeholders in the value chain system. Similarly, assurance of buy back coupled with price supportive system for major farm grown trees are the major marketing interventions. The innovative research and developmental strategies have attracted all wood based industries to organized industrial agroforestry promotion and development ensuring self-reliance in raw material domain. Similarly, the tree growing farmers are attracted towards tree industrial agro forestry for its assured buy back higher productivity and profitability. This, research-based agroforestry value chain system is one of the innovative models and has excellent replication potential across the country. 

A nursery experiment was conducted to study the effect of gypsum and coal fly ash on germination and stump quality of teak seedling. The preconditioned 8 months-old teak drupes (fruit with seed) were placed for germination in the nursery bed.   The experiment consists of seven treatments which were replicated thrice. On 28 and 60 days after sowing, the results revealed that the application of gypsum at 1.5 t ha^-1 did not have any significant effect on number of seedlings/m² of teak at 28 days after sowing, whereas, the significant influence were observed at 60 days after sowing. Significant differences were also observed in root length, shoot length, number of leaves/ seedlings, stump girth and drymatter production of stump at 6 months after sowing. From this study, it could be concluded that the surface application of gypsum at 1.5 t ha^-1 in teak nursery bed enhanced the seedling growth and stump quality of 6 months-old teak nursery plants. 

The seeds of Juniperus polycarpos were sown at six different depths in the nursery viz., 0.5cm, 1.0cm, 1.5cm, 2.0cm, 2.5cm and 3.0cm  to study their effect on germination and seedling vigour index. Significant differences were observed in germination percentage and seedling vigour index of Juniperus polycarpos seeds sown at different depth in the nursery. The maximum germination of 68.88 per cent was recorded in seeds sown at 1.5cm depth  followed by 50.66 per cent germination recorded at 1.0cm depth,  42.00 per cent germination  recorded at 0.5cm depth and 32.00 per cent germination recorded at 2.0cm depth. The minimum germination of 20.66 per cent was recorded in seeds sown at 3.0cm depth. Similarly, seeds sown at 1.50cm depth recorded maximum seedling vigour index (1377.38) followed by seeds sown at 1.0cm depth (1077.26) and then by seeds sown at 0.50cm depth (890.73). The seed sown at 3.0cm depth recorded minimum seedling vigour index (458.40). It is recommended that the seeds of Juniperus polycarpos should be sown at optimum depth of 1.50cm in the nursery for getting maximum germination and seedling vigour.

Calamus brandisii Becc. is one of the endemic slender rattans found in the Western Ghats of India. The genetic diversity of two main populations available in Kerala was investigated using 20 RAPD and 9 ISSR markers. Two parameters viz., gene diversity and  genetic diversity within and among populations were analyzed. ISSR analysis showed quite high genetic diversity in Pandimotta compared to Bonacaud population whereas in RAPD markers both these populations were moderately diverse. The percentage of total genetic differentiation (Gst) among two populations is relatively higher than the mean Gst value indicating high genetic diversity within the populations. The genetic distance between these two populations was 0.1739 with ISSR markers and 0.1971 with RAPD markers. Because of its high genetic diversity, Pandimotta population can be treated as an important population of gene diversity with potentially useful genes. This may be included in the high priority reservoir for genetic conservation also.

Physalis angulata L. var. pendula (Rydb.) Waterf. is reported for the first time for the flora of Odisha. A detailed description, nomenclature, phenology and ecology along with photos are provided for its easy identification.

The genus Cycas is reviewed for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. C. andamanica, C. darshii and C. sainathii have been treated as synonyms of C. pschannae, C. spherica and C. zeylanica respectively. Records of C. darshii from Botanic garden Culcutta have been shown to described on the basis of plant under cultivation and claimed natural population in Andaman and Nicobar Islands without any supportive evidence. A taxonomic note a brief discussion on its distribution is also discussed here. Morpho-anatomical and palynological data of C. zeylanica described here is for the first time. A key to the species of Cycas from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is also provided.

Taxonomic novelties and corrections to Indian Pteridophytes are given briefly here in taxonomic order according to the forthcoming Annotated Checklist of Indian Pteridophytes vol. 3, nearing completion for January 2021. We have divided it into two parts, the present second part is from the Appendix re corrections and additions to Families treated in vols. 1-2, especially concerning relevant publications that appeared subsequently to the two volumes.  Further details of the taxa and references are given in vol. 3.

Following many years of detailed research in the field and in all relevant herbaria a comprehensive annotated checklist of pteridophytes of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh has been prepared listing all specimens we have seen and verified. As this work is now nearly complete, but will still take some time to enter new collections made over the last 3 years or so, we present here for the first time a simple list of all the species and subspecies we have verified from Arunachal Pradesh in advance of our main paper.  Full details of the taxa, synonymy and range are given in The Annotated Checklist of Indian Pteridophytes vols. 1-3 (Fraser-Jenkins et al., 2016-2020).  It is emphasised that the presence of a species has been indicated only after having seen and listed collections examined and re-identified by CRFJ. 

Incarvillea emodi is the only herbaceous member of family Bignoniaceae which is endemic to the Western Himalaya. The species is highly habitat specific and its population is gradually declining from all the reported localities of its occurrence. Since it is having both medicinal and ornamental potential, therefore different propagation protocols have been experimented with for mass scale propagation and conservation of this species.