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ID: 66775
Title: Ethnomedicinal Profile of Ramsagar Wildlife Sanctuary of Dholpur District (Rajasthan)
Author: Anupam Parashar, Dr. Seema Chauhan
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 704-705 (2026)
Subject: Ethnomedicinal Profile of Ramsagar Wildlife Sanctuary of Dholpur District (Rajasthan)
Keywords: None
Abstract: Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and people. Ramsagar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1955 AC, spans an area of roughly 34.5 km2 in the Dholpur district. Ramsagar Lake, built by Maharaja Ram Singh in 1905 AD, directly influences the floral diversity of the Sanctuary. Its vegetation is classified as central India Dry Deciduous Forest, dominated by Dhok (Anogeissus pendula) and Khair (Senegalia catechu) edaphic type, which thrives in the rocky terrains of the Vindhya range.The fringes of Ramsagar WLS are inhabited by tribes such as the Gurjar, Meena, Baghel and Kushwah,lived in symbiosis with these forests for centuries.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Champion H.G. and Seth S.K. (1968). A Revised Survey of the Forest types of India, Publication Division, Govt. of India, New Delhi, 402-407. Kumar A. and Sharma P. (2025). Studies on the Flora of Northeast India, Records of the Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 34(2): 93-103.
Literature cited 2: Phillips O.L. and Gentry A.H. (1993). The useful plants of Tambopata, Peru: I. Statistical hypotheses tests with a new quantitative technique, Economic Botany, 47(2): 22-29. Shetty B.V. and Singh V. (1987-1993). Flora of Rajasthan (Vols. 1-3), Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, 36-73.

ID: 66774
Title: Overlapping Leaf Flush and Flowering in Sal (shorea Robusta): A New Strategy
Author: Bhaskar Chandra Joshi, Himanshu Bagri
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 702-703 (2026)
Subject: Overlapping Leaf Flush and Flowering in Sal (shorea Robusta): A New Strategy
Keywords: None
Abstract: Sal (Shorea robusta) is a dominant tropical deciduous tree species across South Asia, especially in Indian tropcial forests. Its leaf and flowering phenology (timing of leafing), flowering and fruiting events) is closely linked with seasonal climatic changes and influences reproduction and ecological success (Joshi and Bagri,2025). Understanding the timing and overlap of these phenophases is essential for documenting reproductive strategies, canopy dynamics and ecosystem functioning.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Champion H.G. and Seth S.K. (1968). A Revised Survey of the Forest Types of India. Manager of Publicatons, Delhi, 404 pp. Joshi B.C. and Bagri H. (2025). Seasonality of Leaf Fall and Litter Production in Sal (Shorea Robusta Gaertn. F.) ANR Forest in Tarai East Forest Division, Haldwani. Journal of Diversity Studies, 4(2): 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51470/JOD.2025.4.2.01
Literature cited 2: Kumar P., Joshi B.C., Bisht A.S. and Bagri H. (2024). Rare Honey Badger Mellivora capensis (Schreber, 1776) sighted in Tarai East Forest Division, Haldwani, Utarakhand, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 16(9): 25931–25934. htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.9209.16.9.25931-25934 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9209.16.9.25931-25934 Kushwaha C.P. and Singh K.P. (2005). Diversity of leaf phenology in a tropical deciduous forest in India. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 21(1): 47-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467404002032

ID: 66773
Title: Artificial Intelligence based Detection and Mapping Cloud and Cloud-shadow in the Saranda Sal Forest during the Monsoon Season using Google Earth Engine
Author: Anupriya Shrivastava, R.K Arya, Asmita A Moghe
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 692-701 (2026)
Subject: Artificial Intelligence based Detection and Mapping Cloud and Cloud-shadow in the Saranda Sal Forest during the Monsoon Season using Google Earth Engine
Keywords: Sentinel-2, Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest, Google Earth Engine, Saranda Forest, Monsoon Season Forest Monitoring.
Abstract: Persistent monsoon cloud cover limits the effective use of optical satellite imagery for forest monitoring in tropical regions. This study was conducted to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Random Forest algorithm using Google Earth Engine (GEE)-based framework for cloud and cloud-shadow detection in the Saranda Forest, the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia. Sentinel-2 imagery acquired during the 2025 monsoon season was used for cloud and cloud-shadow mapping. Cloud pixels were identified using cloud probability information together with spectral reflectance characteristics, while cloud shadows were detected using solar azimuth geometry and low reflectance values. Spectral analysis revealed that forest vegetation exhibited Near Infrared (NIR) reflectance approximately twice those of the red band, whereas cloud features showed high reflectance across all spectral bands. Cloud-shadow regions displayed spectral characteristics similar to forest vegetation but with comparatively lower reflectance values. The results indicated that approximately 45% and 15% of the study area were covered by clouds and cloud shadows, respectively. The proposed framework achieved an overall accuracy of 95.0%, an F1-score of 94.43%, and a Kappa coefficient of 0.89. ROC analyses confirmed excellent cloud detection performance, demonstrating the suitability of the proposed framework for operational forest monitoring in cloud-prone tropical environments.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Abera T.A., Heiskanen J., Maeda E.E., Muhammed M.A., Bhandari N., Vakkari V., Hailu B.T., Pellikka P.K.E., Hemp A., van Zyl P.G. and Zeuss D. (2024). Deforestation amplifies climate change effects on warming and cloud level rise in African montane forests. Nature Communications, 15(1): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51324-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51324-7 Anthony G., Greg H., Tshilidzi M., Engineering I. and Africa S. (2003). Classification of Images Using Support Vector Machines, 9: 121-145.
Literature cited 2: Bach H., Klug P., Ruf T., Migdall S., Schlenz F., Hank T. and Mauser W. (2015). Satellite image simulations for modelsupervised , dynamic retrieval of crop type and land use intensity. Xl(may), 11–15. https://doi.org/10.5194/ isprsarchives-XL-7-W3-1-2015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XL-7-W3-1-2015 Beale R. and Jackson T. (1990). Neural Computing: An Introduction. In Neural Computing: An Introduction.

ID: 66772
Title: Climate Change will Expand the Potential Habitat of Dichomeris eridantis Meyrick (lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), A Shisham Defoliator, across Uttarakhand: A Maxent Modelling Approach
Author: Deepak Kumar Mahanta, Arun Pratap Singh
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 686-691 (2026)
Subject: Climate Change will Expand the Potential Habitat of Dichomeris eridantis Meyrick (lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), A Shisham Defoliator, across Uttarakhand: A Maxent Modelling Approach
Keywords: MaxEnt, Habitat suitability, Climate change, Uttarakhand, Modelling
Abstract: Dichomeris eridantis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a major defoliating pest of Dalbergia sissoo (Shisham) plantations across the Indian subcontinent. This study modelled the current and future habitat suitability of D. eridantis in Uttarakhand, India, using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm implemented via the maxnet package in R. Field surveys conducted in 2025 across Haridwar and Dehradun districts yielded 48 spatially thinned occurrence points. Four bioclimatic variables - BIO1, BIO3, BIO9, and BIO14 - were selected after multicollinearity assessment. The model achieved an excellent AUC of 0.9988. Current high suitability was concentrated in the Terai-Bhabar lowlands of western Uttarakhand. Future projections under MIROC6-based CMIP6 scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, SSP5-8.5) for 2050s, 2070s, and 2090s revealed progressive expansion of suitable habitat, most pronounced under SSP5-8.5 by the 2090s. These findings provide a spatially explicit framework for climate-informed pest surveillance and integrated management of Shisham plantations.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Aiello-Lammens M.E., Boria R.A., Radosavljevic A., Vilela B. and Anderson R.P. (2015). spThin: an R package for spatial thinning of species occurrence records for use in ecological niche models. Ecography, 38(5): 541–545. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.01132 Allouche O., Tsoar A. and Kadmon R. (2006). Assessing the accuracy of species distribution models: prevalence, kappa and the true skill statistic (TSS). Journal of applied ecology, 43(6): 1223-1232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01214.x
Literature cited 2: Cao R. and Feng J. (2024). Future climate change and anthropogenic disturbance promote the invasions of the world's worst invasive insect pests. Insects, 15(4): 280. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15040280 Fick S.E. and Hijmans R.J. (2017). WorldClim 2: new 1-km spatial resolution climate surfaces for global land areas. International Journal of Climatology, 37(12): 4302–4315. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5086

ID: 66771
Title: Climate-Driven Habitat Suitability Mapping of Terminalia Arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. in Tropical Tasar-growing States of India using Maxent Modelling
Author: J. Komal, Deepak Kumar Mahanta, Jay Prakash Pandey, Hasansab Nadaf, Tanmaya Kumar Bhoi
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 619-626 (2026)
Subject: Climate-Driven Habitat Suitability Mapping of Terminalia Arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. in Tropical Tasar-growing States of India using Maxent Modelling
Keywords: Terminalia arjuna, MaxEnt modelling, habitat suitability, tropical tasar sericulture, bioclimatic variables
Abstract: Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. is an ecologically and economically important tree species serving as a primary host for the tropical tasar silkworm. The present study aimed to assess its current habitat suitability and distribution across India using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modelling approach. A total of 2,448 occurrence records were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and field surveys, of which 145 spatially filtered points were used for modelling. Nineteen bioclimatic variables (BIO1-BIO19) from the WorldClim database were utilized as environmental predictors. The model demonstrated high predictive accuracy with an AUC value of 0.891. Among the variables, annual mean temperature (BIO1) contributed the most, followed by precipitation of the wettest quarter (BIO16) and mean temperature of the wettest quarter (BIO8). The habitat suitability map indicated that highly suitable regions are concentrated in central and eastern India, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The study highlights the critical role of climatic factors in shaping the distribution of T. arjuna and provides valuable insights for conservation planning and sustainable expansion of tropical tasar sericulture.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Ab Lah, N.Z., Yusop, Z., Hashim, M., Mohd Salim, J. and Numata, S. (2021). Predicting the habitat suitability of Melaleuca cajuputi based on the MaxEnt species distribution model, Forests, 12 (11): 1449. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111449 Crispim-Mendes, T., Valerio, F., Marques, A.T., Pita, R., Godinho, S. and Silva, J.P. (2024). High-resolution species distribution modelling reveals spatio-temporal variability of habitat suitability in a declining grassland bird, Landscape Ecology, 39 (3): 49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-01848-6
Literature cited 2: Das, S., Singh, P., Kumar, D., Singh, J., Giri, S. and Sathyanarayana, K. (2022). Impact of foliar supplementation of nitrogen on protein content of Terminalia arjuna leaf and tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta, Plant Archives, 22: 140-143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2022.v22.specialissue.027 Devi, V., Fulekar, M.H., Charles, B., Reddy, C.S. and Pathak, B. (2024). Predicting habitat suitability and species richness under climate change scenarios, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196 (11): 1136. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-13290-x

ID: 66770
Title: Climate - Smart Forestry: Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change
Author: Pritam Kumar Barmanx, Afaq Majid Wani
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 668-679 (2026)
Subject: Climate - Smart Forestry: Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change
Keywords: Climate-smart forestry, Climate change, Sustainable forest management, Smart forestry, Ecosystem services
Abstract: Climate change is currently the primary ecological challenge worldwide. Forests, which are the dominant feature of terrestrial ecosystems, play a vital role in combating this challenge owing to their ability to sequester carbon. However, climate change has a significant impact on the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. A new approach, Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF), has emerged to help policymakers and stakeholders develop effective governance and management strategies for forestry that address climate change mitigation and adaptation. The growing importance of CSF lies in recognizing the mechanisms underlying interactions between forest ecosystems and climate change, ultimately identifying locally effective solutions. CSF is an essential strategy for enhancing the resilience of forest ecosystems while mitigating the impacts of climate change. To tackle the growing concerns of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, severe weather events and the increasing vulnerability of forests to climate change, the CSF approach integrates ecological, economic and social objectives into forest management practices. The increasing risks faced by forest ecosystems due to climate change underscore the pressing need for CSF as an adaptive and integrated management strategy aimed at promoting sustainable ecosystem management. Forests play a critical role in carbon sequestration and safeguarding biodiversity. To effectively implement CSF, it is highly recommended to utilize technological innovations and digital applications. This includes tools such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Additionally, it is important to consider the forest bioeconomy, wood processing and intelligent logging operations to promote the advancement of CSF development.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Ashton M.S., Martin M.P. and Woodbury D. (2025). Is Climate Smart Forestry smart? A review of the concept, its origins and its utility. CABI Reviews, 20(1): 0057. https://doi.org/ 10.1079/cabireviews.2025.0057 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/cabireviews.2025.0057 Barman P.K. and Wani A.M. (2024). Monitoring Forest Cover Change of Gorumara National Park Using Landsat Data. Indian Forester, 150(9): 882-892. https://doi.org/10.36808/ if/2024/v150i9/169674 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2024/v150i9/169674
Literature cited 2: Barman P.K., Rawat S., Kumari A. and Wani A.M. (2024). Monitoring the Vegetation Condition of Gorumara National Park Using NDVI and NDMI Indices. International Journal of BioResource and Stress Management, 15(2): 01-07. https://doi.org/10.23910/1.2024.5052 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23910/1.2024.5052 Bhatti U.A., Bhatti M.A., Tang H., Syam M.S., Awwad E.M., Sharaf M. and Ghadi Y.Y. (2024). Global production patterns: Understanding the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture greening and climate variability. Environmental research, 245: 118049. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.envres.2023.118049 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.118049

ID: 66769
Title: Tree Regeneration and Seedling survival Patterns in the Tropical Dry Mixed-Deciduous Forest of Telangana, India
Author: Vivek N Chovatiya, Bharati
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 654-667 (2026)
Subject: Tree Regeneration and Seedling survival Patterns in the Tropical Dry Mixed-Deciduous Forest of Telangana, India
Keywords: Tropical dry deciduous forest, Regeneration, Biodiversity conservation, Survivorship, Relative growth rate
Abstract: Regeneration is a critical process as it determines the sustenance of forests and the biotic community. This study investigates the regeneration pattern of tree species and their survival status for over three years, 2022-2024, and the factors affecting regeneration in a tropical dry mixed deciduous forest in the reserve forests of the Narsapur area in Telangana state of India. A total of 67 species of 29 families were observed regenerating. Fabaceae was the most specious family, and Cleistanthus collinus was ecologically dominant. The forest exhibits three-layered strata with a mature and functionally diverse ecosystem. The middle stratum was species-rich with 43 canopy-forming species providing canopy connectivity. In the upper stratum, six species contributed significantly to canopy cover and primary biomass. Overall, 49 species had 'fair' regeneration status, one had 'good' regeneration, 'new' and 'poor' regeneration were recorded for six species in each category, and five species had 'no' regeneration. Cleistanthus collinus was dominant as tree and sapling, while Holarrhena pubescens was dominant as seedling. The size-wise distribution of species with fair regeneration shows an inverse Jshaped curve, indicating satisfactory regeneration in the area. Survivorship analysis of 18 tree species highlights an overall survivorship range from zero in Madhuca longifolia (100% mortality) to one in Lannea coromandelica (100% survival). Most of the species had low survival, close to 0.33%. The analysis showed that canopy cover, tree and sapling density, and species richness were important for regeneration in the area. Although most species exhibited fair regeneration, high mortality and low species richness of seedlings indicate the need for adaptive forest management and plantation interventions for effective restoration of the area under the prevailing climatic conditions.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Appiah, M. (2013). Tree population inventory, diversity and degradation analysis of a tropical dry deciduous forest in Afram Plains, Ghana. Forest Ecology and Management, 295: 145-154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.01.023 Barker, P.C.J. and Kirkpatrick, J.B. (1994). Phyllocladus aspleniifolius: variability in the population structure, the regeneration niche and dispersion patterns in Tasmanian forests. Australian Journal of Botany, 42: 163-190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/BT9940163
Literature cited 2: Beckage, B., Lavine, M. and Clark, J.S. (2005). Survival of tree seedlings across space and time: estimates from long-term count data. Journal of Ecology, 93: 1177-1184. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01053.x Behera, M.C., Sahoo, U.K., Mohanty, T.L., Prus, P., Smuleac, L. and Pascalau, R. (2023). Species composition and diversity of plants along human-induced disturbances in tropical moist sal forests of Eastern Ghats, India. Forests, 14: 1931. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f14101931

ID: 66768
Title: Effect of Topography, Fertility levels and Rest period on tree growth of Palas trees under Lac Cultivation
Author: Soumen Ghosal, Niranjan Prasad, Abhijit Kar
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 648-653 (2026)
Subject: Effect of Topography, Fertility levels and Rest period on tree growth of Palas trees under Lac Cultivation
Keywords: Butea monosperma, Soil fertility, Tree growth.
Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of the ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture, Ranchi during 2019 to 2024 to evaluate the effects of agronomic management on the growth of the lac host Palas (Butea monosperma) and residual soil fertility. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three factors: topography (upland vs. lowland), soil fertility levels (control, lime only, recommended dose [RD] of fertilizer, and double RD), and pre-pruning rest periods (7 vs. 19 months). Growth analysis revealed that upland topography increased shoot emergence by 24% compared to lowlands. Among fertility treatments, the recommended fertilizer dose excelled, producing 40% more pruned shoots than the control. Additionally, a longer rest period of 19 months significantly improved both shoot numbers and fruit bunches per tree. Regarding residual soil fertility, upland soils recorded a higher pH (5.48) than lowland soils (5.19). Sodium and sulfur content on upland soil was found to be 67.2 and 9.2 ppm, respectively i.e. 16.2 and 19.3 per cent lower than respective values of lowland. Position of land could be the reason behind it. Conversely, soil water holding capacity (WHC) was higher in lowlands (28.7%) than in uplands (25.2%).
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Baldwin D.S. and Mitchell A.M. (2000). The effects of drying and re-flooding on the sediment and soil nutrient dynamics of lowland river-floodplain systems: A synthesis. Reg Rivers: Res Manag., 16: 457–467. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1002/10991646(200009/ 10) 16:5% 3c457:: Aid- rrr597% 3e3.0.Co;2-b DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1646(200009/10)16:5<457::AID-RRR597>3.0.CO;2-B Bharti A., Sharma R.P., Sankhyan N.K. and Kumar R. (2021). Productivity and NPK uptake by maize as influenced by conjunctive use of FYM, lime and fertilizers in an acid Alfisol. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 20(1): 100-106. DOI: 10.5958/2455-7145.2021.00013.8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5958/2455-7145.2021.00013.8
Literature cited 2: Cong P.T. and Merckx R. (2005). Improving phosphorus availability in two upland soils of Vietnam using Tithoniadiversifolia H. Plant Soil 269, 11–23. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1007/s11104-004-1791-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-004-1791-1 Dutta K. and Agarwal M. (2002). Effect of tree plantations on the soil characteristics and microbial activity of coal mine spoil land. Trop. Ecol., 43(2): 315–324.

ID: 66767
Title: Studies on Germination Potential of Soymida febrifuga Seed
Author: Pankaj Singh, A Jasmin, Swapnendu Pattanaik, B Ashwitha, Aryama Mishra
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 638-647 (2026)
Subject: Studies on Germination Potential of Soymida febrifuga Seed
Keywords: Soymida febrifuga, Lesser-known, Seed viability, Germination, Conservation.
Abstract: Soymida febrifuga (Roxb.) A. Juss. is a member of the Meliaceae family and regarded as indigenous cum lesser-known medicinal tree of India. The plant regenerates naturally through winged seeds. However, its recalcitrant seed nature leads to rapid loss of viability and poor germination under natural conditions. This study evaluated seed viability and tested pre-sowing treatments to enhance germination for conservation purposes. Mature pods were collected prior to seed dispersal, and viability was assessed using the triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) test. Results indicated 100% viability in the first month, declining to 31% by the fourth month. Five treatments viz.T1 (control, water soaking), T2 (GA₃ 100 ppm), T3 (GA₃ 300 ppm), T4 (GA₃ 500 ppm), and T5 (hot water) were evaluated. Hot water treatment (T5) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced germination percentage (89.98%), germination energy (35.55), germination rate index (2.90), germination index (333.66), sum germinated (27 seeds), mean germination time (9.52 days), vigour index (790.99), mean germination rate (0.733), coefficient of variation (39.64%), uncertainty of germination process (2.15), synchrony of germination (2.63), average shoot length (10.17 cm), average root length (11.14 cm), mortality percentage (10%), coefficient of variation of germination (77.66), time spread of germination (15), Timson germination index (4.09) followed by T4 over control. Overall, it has been found that seeds should be sown within one month of collection while with hot water pre-treatment recommended for effective propagation and conservation of this species. Further, there is need to explore the impact of the geographical variation on the seed quality and germination behaviour of this species.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Abubakar T., Adamu M. and Zungum I.U. (2019). Effect of pretreatment on germination of Azadirachta indica and Acacia senegal seed in afforestation, Bayero J. Pure Appl. Sci., 12(1): 628–633. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/bajopas.v12i1.94S Al-Ansari F. and Ksiksi T. (2016). A quantitative assessment of germination parameters: the case of Crotalaria persica and Tephrosia apollinea. The Open Ecology Journal, 9(1):13-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1874213001609010013
Literature cited 2: Al-Mudaris M.A. (1998). Notes on various parameters recording the speed of seed germination, Der Tropenlandwirt, 99(2): 147–154. Bahri S. and Syamsuddin S. (2018). Viability and vigor of cocoa seed (Theobroma cacao L.) to some levels of water content and storage period, Int. J. Agron. Agric. Res., 13(2): 144–154.

ID: 66766
Title: NDVI- and NDMI-Based Assessment of Post-mining Ecological Restoration in Shankargarh Hills, Madhya Pradesh, India (2017–2025)
Author: Pradeep Mishra
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 627-637 (2026)
Subject: NDVI- and NDMI-Based Assessment of Post-mining Ecological Restoration in Shankargarh Hills, Madhya Pradesh, India (2017–2025)
Keywords: Community participation, Ecological restoration, Land Degradation, NDVI, Remote Sensing, Vegetation recovery
Abstract: Open-cast mining in Shankargarh Hills, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, has led to severe land degradation, including topsoil loss, soil compaction, reduced moisture retention, and sparse vegetation. This study evaluates the ecological restoration of 58.5 hectares of degraded land using multi-year Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from Sentinel-2 imagery spanning 2017 to 2025. Following an order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), restoration activities commenced in 2019 through collaborative efforts between the local community and the Forest Department. Initial efforts were towards soil and moisture conservation, followed by plantation. The mean NDVI increased from 0.19 in 2017 to 0.30 in 2025, showing substantial vegetation recovery. Spatial analysis reveals a marked reduction in sparse vegetation across the site, accompanied by increases in moderate and dense vegetation classes. NDVI difference analysis shows improvement in most areas, with only localised declines. Field observations and photographic evidence corroborate the satellite-based findings. The results demonstrate that even severely degraded mining sites can achieve rapid recovery through targeted, community-driven restoration initiatives.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Ahirwal J. and Maiti S.K. (2022). Restoring coal mine degraded lands in India for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Restoration Ecology, 30(5): e13606. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13606 Bradshaw A.D. (2000). The use of natural processes in reclamation — advantages and difficulties. Landscape and Urban Planning, 51(2–4): 89–100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00099-2
Literature cited 2: Carlson T.N. and Ripley D.A. (1997). On the relation between NDVI, fractional vegetation cover, and leaf area index. Remote Sensing of Environment, 62(3): 241–252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(97)00104-1 Drusch M., Del Bello U., Carlier S., Colin O., Fernandez V., Gascon F., Hoersch B., Isola C., Laberinti P., Martimort P., Meygret A., Spoto F., Sy O., Marchese F. and Bargellini P. (2012). Sentinel-2: ESA's optical high-resolution mission for GMES operational services. Remote Sensing of Environment, 120: 25–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2011.11.026

ID: 66765
Title: Land-Use Dependent Variability of Soil Organic Carbon Pool across Urban Green Spaces in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Author: Richa Misra, Vishavjit Kumar, Mohit Husain, Shalini Sharma
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (7) June 26 Pg No. 619-626 (2026)
Subject: Land-Use Dependent Variability of Soil Organic Carbon Pool across Urban Green Spaces in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Keywords: Soil organic carbon (SOC), LULUCF, bulk density, urban green spaces.
Abstract: In Indian Himalayan cities, soil organic carbon (SOC) pool measurement across diverse urban land-use categories is still largely undefined, despite being crucial for urban carbon accounting. Using the IPCC (2006) Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) methodology at a standardized 0-30 cm depth across 135 samples from 34 sites, the present study estimated and compared SOC pools across five major urban land-use categories in Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Forests (n = 79), Institutes (n = 37), Parks and Gardens (n = 7), Rail (n = 2) and Roads (n = 10). The Walkley and Black (1934) wet oxidation method was used to measure the content of soil organic carbon and the core sampler method was used to determine bulk density. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction and Spearman rank correlation were all used in statistical analysis. The overall SOC pool varied from 5.32 to 95.34 t C ha-1, with an average of 48.55t C ha-1. A statistically significant land-use dependent hierarchy was established (H = 62.09, df = 4, p ˂ 0.001): Parks and Gardens (82.67 t C ha-1) ˃ Forest (59.89 t C ha-1) ˃ Road (26.05 t C ha-1) = Institute (25.79 t C ha-1) ˃ Rail (14.65 t C ha-1). All the samples (100%) in the Parks and Gardens category were categorized as High (˃ 65 t C ha-1). In all samples, SOC concentration (%) was found to be the primary driver of SOC pool variation (Spearman ρ = 0.952, p ˂ 0.001), while bulk density and coarse fragment fraction did not significantly affect the overall level. The study provides the first baseline SOC dataset for Dehradun’s urban green spaces and emphasizes the importance of giving institutional greening, roadside vegetation restoration and park maintenance as top priority for SOC-informed urban land management in Himalayan foothill cities.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Blake G.R. and Hartge K.H. (1986). Bulk density. In: Klute, A., Ed., Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1—Physical and Mineralogical Methods, 2nd Edition, Agronomy Monograph 9, American Society of Agronomy—Soil Science Society of America, Madison, 363-382. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.1.2ed.c13 Churkina G., Brown D.G. and Keoleian G. (2010). Carbon stored in human settlements: the conterminous United States. Global Change Biology, 16(1): 135-143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02002.x
Literature cited 2: Edmondson J.L., Davies Z.G., McHugh N., Gaston K.J. and Leake J.R. (2012). Organic carbon hidden in urban ecosystems. Scientific Reports, 2: 9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep00963 Edmondson J.L., Davies Z.G., McCormack S.A., Gaston K.J.and Leak J.R. (2014). Land-cover effects on soil organic carbon stocks in a European city. Science of the Total Environment, 472: 444-453. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.025

ID: 66764
Title: Unravelling a Historical Misnomer: The 'Indian' Forest Service Was Never 'Imperial' Examining the Official Nomenclature and Legacy of India's Premier Forestry Cadre
Author: Jagmohan Sharma
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (6) June 26 Pg No. 615-616 (2026)
Subject: Unravelling a Historical Misnomer: The 'Indian' Forest Service Was Never 'Imperial' Examining the Official Nomenclature and Legacy of India's Premier Forestry Cadre
Keywords: None
Abstract: A misconception pervades that the 'Indian Forest Service' (IFS) was once officially designated the 'imperial Forest Service' This erroneous notion, often repeated in popular discourse and even academic works, contradicts the official record. An examination of historical documents, government gazettes, and service regulations reveals that India's premier forestry cadre that has been formally titled the Indian Forest Service, with the acronym "IFS" serving as its consistent identifier.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1:
Literature cited 2:

ID: 66763
Title: Is the Endangered Species Catamixis bachharoides Extirpated from Gaibdhar, Vyasi Hills?
Author: Dhan Singh Bisht, Abhishek Tripathi
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (6) June 26 Pg No. 611-614 (2026)
Subject: Is the Endangered Species Catamixis bachharoides Extirpated from Gaibdhar, Vyasi Hills?
Keywords: None
Abstract: Catamixis bachharoides Thomson was reported endangered species endemic to the Siwalik belt and Tehri district of the Garhwal Himalaya, as documented in the Red Data Book (Nayar and Shastry ,1987).A detailed review of literature (Stewart ,1869,ooker,1882;Dulhie,1903-1929;Kanjilal,1969,oilett,1971; Rao,1995;Gaur,1999 and Negi et al, 2010) indicates that this species is restricted to the specific Shivalik belt of the Western Himalaya, Outside India it is distributed in Salyam 1620,,West Nepal.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Chandra A., Kumar A and Kewat A.K. (2017). Catamixis baccharoides Thoms.: A vulnerable species -a study on population status. Indi. J. Plant Sci., 6, 124–126. Collett H. (1971). Flora Simlensis. Rep. 2012. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun.
Literature cited 2: Dhiman R., Thakur A., Yadav S. and Verma P.K. (2022). Status of Catamixis baccharoides Thomson (a critically endangered plant) in Western Himalayas. Journal of Environmental Biology, 43(6): 826-833 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22438/jeb/43/6/MRN-4035 Duthie J.F. (1903-1929), Flora of Upper Gangetic Plain and of the Adjacent Siwalik and Sub-Himalayan Tracks, Rep. 1994, 2006, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.21629

ID: 66762
Title: Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) Cultivation in Tripura: Opportunities for Sustainable Livelihoods, Trade, and Economic Growth
Author: Prasada Rao Vaddarapu, Prasenjit Choudhury
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (6) June 26 Pg No. 607-610 (2026)
Subject: Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) Cultivation in Tripura: Opportunities for Sustainable Livelihoods, Trade, and Economic Growth
Keywords: None
Abstract: Agarwood (oud) is a highly valuable resinous wood formed in Aquilaria species as a defense response to injury or microbial infection. Aquilaria malaccensis (Family-Thymeleaceae), locally known as 'agar'. is the most commercially important species due to its superior resin quality. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, and parts of China, with northeast India (Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland) serving as a major habitat.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Adam A., Lee S.Y. and Mohamed R. (2017). Pharmacological properties of agarwood tea derived from Aquilaria (Thymelaeaceae) leaves: An emerging contemporary herbal drink. Journal of Herbal Medicine, 10: 37–44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hermed.2017.06.002 Barden A., Anak N.A., Mulliken T. and Song M. (2000). Heart of the Matter: Agarwood Use and Trade. TRAFFIC International.
Literature cited 2: Chen X., Sui C., Liu Y., Yang Y., Liu P., Zhang Z. and Wei J. (2017). Agarwood formation induced by fermentation liquid of Lasiodiplodia theobromae. Current Microbiology, 74: 460–468. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-016-1193-7 Chowdhury M. and Saha S. (2018). Agarwood plantation in Northeast India. Indian Journal of Forestry, 41(2): 123–130.

ID: 66761
Title: Status and Distribution of Corypha umbraculifera L. (Arecaceae), a Threatened Monocarpic Palm of Tamilnadu
Author: S. Gnanasekar, C. Vidhya, R. A. Sivarathinavel
Editor: Richa Misra
Year: 2026
Publisher: Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: The Indian Forester Vol. 152 (6) June 26 Pg No. 601-606 (2026)
Subject: Status and Distribution of Corypha umbraculifera L. (Arecaceae), a Threatened Monocarpic Palm of Tamilnadu
Keywords: None
Abstract: Palms are the third most economically important plants, they are extensively used as ornamental plants and also for making furniture and thatching material for roof. Corypha umbraculifera L is a fan palm and is one of the largest plams in the world, attaining heights of 20-25m, its inflorescence is the largest one borne on any plant (Fisher et al, 1987 and Tominson , 2006).
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Chandran M.D.S (1996). Talipot: A forgotten palm of western ghats. Aplea for its conservation. Resonance, pp.69-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02835215
Literature cited 2: Fisher J.B., Saunders R.W. and Edmonson N. (1987). The flowering and fruiting of Corypha umbraculifera in Miami, Florida. Principes, 31: 68-77.