Pteidophytes do not form dominant vegetation anywhere on the earth surface now, but have been replaced by the seed bearing plants. Their occurrence in several small patches relays the message of richness. During the present study, 24 species of Pteridophytes were reinventoried from Vilavancode, Kalkulam and Thovalai sacred groves of Kanyakumari district, Southern Western Ghats.

An evaluation was made on the performance of three tree species viz. Alnus nepalenis D. Don. Melia azadirachta A. Juss. and Gmelina arborea Roxb. and their interactive effects on crop yield during establishment period. The seedlings of all tree species survived better under cropped than un-cropped plots.

Agroforestry has high potential for simultaneously satisfying three important objectives viz., protecting and stabilizing the ecosystems; producing a high level of output of economic goods; and improving income and basic materials to rural population. Besides, agroforestry is capable to conserve natural resources through various systems under different agroclimatic regions.

Globally, there is increasing realization of the dependence of humans on ecosystems and the role by forests in providing important ecosystem services. Forests are the chief source of livelihood in developing countries in general and mountains in particular. The Indian Himalaya holds key to India's ecological security and is the major provider of various forest products and hydropower.

Seven species of edible macrofungi namely Cantharellus cibarius, Coprinus comatus, Geopora arenicola, Ramaria formosa, Ramaria flavo-brunnescens, sparassis crispa and Termitomyces striatus belonging to Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes have been illustrated and are being described for the first time from Jammu Province of Jammu and Kashmir state.

The survey revealed complete destruction of bryo-vegetation from ground to the height of 15-17' at Kausani due to forest fire which erupted in 2002 in the areas which were completely gutted in fire. The fire period was intense and long and most of the thalli growing over there were burnt completely. The remnant marks of burnt thalli of Marchantia sp. and Plagiochasma sp.

It is being increasingly realized that the forests play a critical role in global carbon cycle and after significant potential to capture carbon and thus could play important role in climate change mitigation.

The present paper examines the cost, return and resource use efficiency in lac cultivation on major lac host plants. This paper is based on the analaysis of data collected on 400 lac growers of Ranchi and West Singhbhum district in the year 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.

The documentation of forest wealth in the Himalayas is of great importance because biotic pressure on them. The applied system of management and conservation of forests is of immediate concern for the present and future generation. Such study is useful to know the type of plant community development through succession under single stand management system.

Performance of five year old coppice plants of Dalbergia sissoo was evaluated for biomass production on a sub-standard soil site. The study reveals potential of short rotation coppice system in D. sissoo for obtaining biomass energy and minor timber on sub-standard soil sites.

Pages