Climate change is recognized as a significant man-made global environmental challenge and it is also treated as threat. It may alter the distribution and quality of natural resources. Considering the vulnerabilities of forests and irreversible impacts of climate change on forests, long term planning for forest conservation and management is the urgent need of the hour to ensure and maintain the long-term mitigation potential of forests. In this study multi-disciplinary literature review, interviews with researchers in a variety of related fields, and consultation meetings with selected practitioners at the national, regional, and local levels were conducted. The findings of study highlighted the current status of knowledge, strengths, gaps and constraints in research pertaining to climate change adaptation and mitigation aspects of forests in India.

Nanotechnology presents a tremendous opportunity to boost the field of wood preservation through implementing modern and unique metal biocides with improved properties. Nano form of Copper oxide, Zinc oxide and Copper sulphate were made by mechanical milling in the high energy planetary ball mill with 450 rpm for 12 hours. Among the three tested nanobiocides Copper sulphate at 0.5% concentration provided protection to the plywood against wood destroying organisms without sacrificing the bond quality of plywood. This is the first report to develop and test the efficacy of nanobiocide against wood destroying organism in India.

The litterfall under different aged (sapling, pole and mature) Chir pine stands were studied at two sites viz. Nauni and Moti Kona (Kasauli) having altitudes 1250-1275m and 1720-1745m amsl., respectively in the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh throughout the year. The litter comprised of needles, twigs / branch and bark under sapling and pole stands of Chir pine whereas cones were also the part of the total litter production  under mature stands at both sites. The litterfall was maximum under mature stands followed by pole and sapling stands at Site-I whereas it was maximum under pole stand followed by mature and sapling stands at Site-II. The needles had the maximum share (93 to 99%) in the total litter under all the Chir pine stands. The average annual litter production under sapling,pole and mature stands was 64.68, 73.49 and 102.01 q/ha, respectively at Site-I whereas at Site-II, it was 33.34, 55.20 and 37.84 q/ha, respectively. The needle fall was maximum in summer months i.e. April and May under all the Chir pine stands at both the sites and it was about 60 to 70 per cent of the total litterfall of the year. The information generated from the present study may be beneficial for devising management strategies for Chir pine needle litter and can also help in making the strategies for fire control in Chir pine forests of mid hills of Himalayas.

A study to understand and assess the impact of altitudinal gradients on the floristic diversity in Shingan valley falling in Rakchham-Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh was carried out during the year 2008. The altitudinal gradient in the present case varied from 2800m to 4300m above msl. Total number of plant species as recorded was 118 belonging to 46 families and 87 genera. The dominant families registered were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Ranunculaceae and Ploygonaceae. The number of tree species was 11 and 4 with the dominance of Pinus wallichiana and Betula utilis at 2800-3300m and 3300-3800m elevation respectively. The number of shrub species was 15, 13 and 6 with the dominance of Salix fragilis, Juniperus indica and Rhododendron anthopogon at the elevation of 2800-3300m, 3300-3800m and 3800-4300m. The number of herbs species was 63, 55 and 40 at 2800-3300m, 3300-3800m  and 3800-4300m elevation respectively. Caltha palustris, Anaphalis triplinervis and Thymus linearis were the dominant shrub at these elevations respectively. The distribution pattern of species was mostly contiguous in all the altitude ranges. Index of diversity for herb species in different elevations ranges was 3.75, 3.66 and 3.44 for 2800-3300m 3300-3800m and 3800-4300m elevation respectively. Out of the 58 medicinal plant species as recorded from the valley, 14 species like Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Angelica glauca, Betula utilis, Podophyllum hexandrum, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Rheum australe, Taxus wallichiana, Heracleum lanatum, Polygonatum verticillatum, Rheum webbianum , Rhodiola heterodonta, Rhododendron anthopogon, Rhododendron campanulatum, Rhododendron lepidotum etc. fall in the category of threatened plants as per IUCN categorization.

The present investigation on Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. was carried out to estimate the genetic variability for some phenotypic characters and seed traits of trees selected from fifteen different provenances. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for all the characters viz;  tree height, diameter, crown spread, seed length, seed width and 100 seed weight. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and  estimates of genetic parameters viz; heritability, genetic advance and genetic gain have also been discussed.

The study was carried out to assess the contribution of farm tree on the household economy of the users of Kankali Community Forest in Chitwan, Nepal. Household survey, focus group discussion and key informant survey were used to get primary information. Stratified random sampling was used to select sample households on the basis of wealth class. A total of 200 households were taken for interview. People’s dependence on fuel wood was found high. Rich people had more trees on their farm land as compared to medium and poor people. Farm trees were mostly used for fodder purpose and less for timber, fuel wood and fruits. Contribution of non-farm sources (salary, business, remittance, wage, etc.) to household economy was high (86.6%) followed by farm source (agriculture/livestock) (9.5%), forest (2.5%) and farm trees (1.3%). Percentage contribution of non-farm, agriculture/livestock and farm tree sources was more for rich households as compared to medium and poor households. Forest resource was a greater source of income for medium households than other two categories. Rich class households prefer to collect more timber, fuel wood and fodder from forest, medium households prefer to collect more grass, sand, mud and wild vegetables while poor people collect more poles, wild fruits and bamboo/rattan as compared to other classes of households. The perception of the people was found positive towards having farm tree and its importance to household economy though the percentage share of farm tree income for household economy was least.

The studies on energetics are concerned mainly with evaluating the energy flow and, therefore, are related to the incorporation of energy into new protoplasm in addition to estimates of maintenance of energy. The work with Criotettix grandis Hanc.  has still not been worked upon therefore Quantitative estimation of consumption, assimilation, tissue growth and food utilization efficiencies of the phytophagous insect was calculated and worked out.

Recognizing the role of plantations in bioresource conservation, four plantations namely Department of Non-renewable Energy Sources (DNES), Eucalyptus, Rose, and Tea were surveyed and sampled in a part of Western Himalaya. Total of 96 plant species belonging to 52 families were recorded from the plantations. Poaceae, Asteraceae and Rosaceae were the dominant families while seven species namely Bidens pilosa, Clinopodium vulgare, Erigeron annuus, Euphorbia heterophylla, Eupatorium adenophorum, Oxalis corniculata, and Pouzolzia zeylanica were common to all the plantations. Maximum tree density was recorded in DNES plantation (36.63±28.10/100m²), while maximum shrub density was in Tea plantation (20.50±2.10/25 m²). Rose plantation, on the other hand, had the highest herb density (210.83±57.30/m²). Tree (2.547) and shrub diversity (2.382) was highest in DNES, while the herb diversity was highest (2.594) in Tea plantation. The pH of the soil from these plantations 4.37 in Tea plantation to 4.77 in Rose plantation. Amongst the four plantations, maximum similarity was between DNES and Eucalyptus plantations (22%) and added together the four plantations account for 3% of the Flora of Himachal Pradesh.

Vegetative propagation through softwood grafting was carried out during 1994-1997 on Flacourtia montana, an endemic wild edible fruit tree of the Western Ghats, as part of its popularization and promoting cultivation programme. The grafting experiment was very successful and resulted in 78 percent success. The paper discusses the grafting success and its field performance.

Indopiptadenia oudhensis (Brandis) Brenan is an endangered tree species of family Mimosaceae. Species is mainly distributed at Indo-Nepal border and facing threats such as anthropogenic pressure, habitat destruction, over exploitation, low seed viability and poor seed germination.

Investigations on seedlings of Sida acuta Burm. f. subsp. acuta, S. cordifolia L., S. javensis Cav., S. ovata Forssk., S. rhombifolia L., and S. spinosa L.  have been carried out to assess the systematic relevance of seedling morphology within the genus Sida L. The seedlings are found distinct with respect to collet shape, paracotyledon blade apex, epicotyl surface, stipule, leaf blade shape and venation, type of hairs, and presence or absence of spines. The results on morphological attributes of seedlings in the genus Sida L. are of high systematic value of the family Malvaceae.

A lady fern known from Japan, Taiwan, China and more recently from Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh in India, Athyrium nakanoi  Makino is reported here for the first time from Sikkim. It is red listed under near threatened category of IUCN. Recollection of this rare fern from a new locality of Indian Himalaya is significant. A small report on its occurrence, taxonomy, distribution, Phytogeography and conservation is presented here.

The genus Tephrosia Pers. (Fabaceae) is collected from Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, India and reported here as a generic record with a species viz. T. purpurea (L.) Pers. for the Angiosperm flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Lectotype for Tetraphyllum bengalense C.B.Clarke is designated.

Five species of angiosperms Agapetes affinis (Griff.) Airy Shaw (Ericaceae), Delphinium altissimum Wall. (Ranunculaceae), Gomphostemma velutinum Benth. (Lamiaceae), Peperomia heyneana Miq. (Piperaceae) and Suregada multiflora (A. Juss.) Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) are reported as new distributional records for the state.

Acmella uliginosa (Swartz) Cassini, Axonopus compressus (Swartz) P. Beauvois, Desmodium neomexicanum A. Gray, Richardia scabra L., Spilanthes radicans Jacq. and Stylosanthes fruticosa (Retz.) Alston are reported as new records for Chhattisgarh state.

Athyrium schimperi Moug. ex Fée, Athyrium rupicola (Edgew. ex C. Hope) C. Chr. and Athyrium pectinatum (Wall. ex Mett.) T. Moore are reported here as new addition to the fern flora of Meghalaya state.

The paper enumerates 10 taxa as new record for the Flora of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR) in Tamil Nadu based on authors’ own collections. Correct nomenclature with citations, family name, brief distinguishing characters, abundance, habitat, exact locality of occurrence, field number and flowering and fruiting period of each taxon has been presented.

Five grass taxa are being reported as new distributional records for Karnataka state. All the taxa are provided with correct nomenclature, brief description and illustration.

This paper reports the occurrence of Dryopteris zayuensis Ching & S.K.Wu and Pteris biaurita L. subsp. fornicata Fraser-Jenk. in Himachal Pradesh. The first one is a rare species while the latter forms a new record for Himachal Pradesh.