Role of Institutional Governance in Protecting the Natural Environment

In the present age of industrialization and unregulated urbanization, the Aravali ranges in India are facing deforestation and degradation. The major reasons behind this are the needs of the poor, and greed of the rich. Therefore, part of the Aravalli Ranges falling in different sub-regions of the National Capital Region, has been taken as case study. The chapter intends to provide an insight into the scenario of forests and wildlife in the sub-regions; the challenges, responses, and immediate initiatives taken up by the constituent state governments. It also discusses ways forward to engage the governments and local communities in the protection of forests and wildlife. The conclusion strives to provide probable strategies that can be adopted to transform the transitions of Aravalli into a positive one and ways for engaging government machinery for better governance to escape the grim future we foresee.

Scenarios of the Tropical Dry Forest of Purulia District West Bengal

In this chapter, satellite images of the years 1995, 2005, and 2015 of LANDSAT have been used. After pre-processing (geometric correction and atmospheric correction using FLAASH, LULC change dynamics have been assessed to estimate the changes in total forest cover in Purulia district through an unsupervised K-means classification scheme. To evaluate the health status, vegetation indices, namely NDVI, SAVI, and CVI, have been used. The increase in NDVI, SAVI, and CVI values was inferred as no significant degradation of Purulia forest cover. Moreover, future scenarios have been predicted by implementing a CA-MARKOV model. Using the land cover map of 1995 as the base map, and from 1995 to 2005 as training data, a land cover map of 2015 has been generated which in turn validated by the actual land cover of 2015. After validation, prediction of land cover was possible for the years 2035 and 2050. The prediction suggested that forest area will increase by approximately 4% from 2015 to 2035 and by 3% from 2035 to 2050.

Diversity and Distribution of Tropical Dry Forests

Tropical dry forests occur as patches in Tamil Nadu distributed along the East Coast, Eastern Ghats, and plains of the Indian Peninsula. The floristic studies of these regions are of great national relevance as plant resources in a tropical climate contribute to national wealth. Dry forests of the plains in Tamil Nadu have been neglected and the area under study has remained practically unexplored. This chapter studies distribution of tropical dry forests, especially in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu. In total, 187 sacred groves were surveyed for their distribution and floristic composition. The GPS position of each grove was noted and their distribution maps were prepared. The groves were classified based on conservation status, namely well conserved, moderately conserved and degraded. Extensive botanical explorations were carried out periodically during 2012–2016 in these groves and 812 species belonging to 480 genera under 124 families were recorded. The endemic, threatened species of these groves were also documented.

Plant Functional Traits in Tropical Dry Forests

Plants have certain characteristics which allow them to respond to various environmental conditions, like changes in climate, water scarcity in the soil, lack of minerals; among others. In some of these traits, the responses to climatic phenomena such as drought can be evidenced through morphological adaptations (spines, succulent tissues, trichomes) or physiological adaptations (regulation of water potential at the cellular level, the concentration of nutrients, etc.). A systematic literature review was performed to study plant functional traits (PFTs) in tropical dry forests (TDFs). The chapter suggests the role of functional traits in community dynamics and processes. The authors will also highlight the limitations of PFTs in TDFs and how they can be improved.

Global Overview of Tropical Dry Forests

Forests cover almost one-third of the Earth's land surface. Tropical dry forests are the second-most-important forest type in the world covering approximately 42% of tropical and sub-tropical forest area. The main features of these forests are their deciduousness, a prolonged dry period extending 3-9 months, and little annual precipitation of 250-2,000 mm. Tropical dry forests are found in five of the eight realms in the world. More than half of the forests are distributed in the Americas, with other portions in Africa, Eurasia, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The forests are unique in nature, and provide shelter to a huge number of endemics and endangered species. Among woody plant species, about 40% are not found anywhere in the world. These forests are now the most threatened among all forest types. The conservation status of these forests is endangered. Deforestation, rapid civilization, land conversion, fire, and climate change are the major threats. Proper management with time-oriented policy could be helpful to restore these forests and protect the existing remnant areas.

Participatory Management of Tropical Dry Forests in Benin

This chapter encompasses a literature survey and strategic analysis to understand the elaboration and implementation of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in Benin, with a focus on the case of the “Forêt des Trois Rivières”. By analyzing the historical background of forest management systems in Benin, we highlighted two major turning points. The first relates to the creation and autocratic management of protected forests, which took place from 1940 to 1990. The second change took place after the Rio conference in 1992, and this emphasized the importance of local communities in natural resources management. Moreover, the results of our strategic analysis of stakeholders involved in the specific case of Participatory Forest Management Plan (PFMP) of the “Forêt des Trois Rivières” showed that it is important to emphasize on active community participation while designing a participatory management plan and for decision making at the implementation stage. We also observed that alliances between foresters and timber loggers are likely to hinder the achievement of the PFM objectives.

Trends in Management of Tropical Forests

Forests are important plant communities that consist of trees and other woody vegetation that performs life-supporting functions on Earth. This chapter presents the application concepts necessary to link remote sensing data and geographic information system to conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of tropical forests. Despite the rising global concern, there is still continuous destruction of tropical forests at an alarming rate. This chapter assessed various approaches for conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of tropical forests using remote sensed data and geographic information system. This involves their applications to biodiversity conservation, forest ecophysiology, forest trees' disease and insect interactions, forest mensuration, forest resources monitoring and evaluation, forest fires, land use and land cover dynamics, and vegetation cover.

Issues and Challenges for Stone Mining Affected Forest Area Restoration Through Probiotic Interventions

The sandstone quarrying and mining in Vidhyan region of Uttar Pradesh has severely devastated the floral biodiversity of the adjacent forest area. It is necessary to conserve these areas for the protection and sustainable use of forest resources. In most of the conservation program, microbial deficiency creates problems in establishment of the vegetation and delays the natural succession. Therefore, probiotic interventions were applied to conserve these areas promptly. The probiotic beneficial microbes' interventions, due to their multifarious beneficial characters, may facilitate the upcoming of flora through enrichment of the soil, better nutrient absorption, providing resistance against different stresses, etc. Probiotic interventions may positively impact the conservation of floral diversity and restoration of stone mining-affected forest area.

Litter Production and Decomposition in Tropical Forest

Plant litter production and decomposition is a crucial ecosystem process that defines and governs the plant-soil relationships by regulating the nutrient turnover and the build-up of soil organic matter. Litter is the principal source of organic matter for soils in the forest ecosystem. The litter, upon decomposition, makes available essential nutrients for the growth and development of a forest stand. Different tree components contain different amounts of nutrients; and build up of soil organic matter. The amount of nutrients added through litter decomposition varies with forest types, species, stand attributes, and variation in seasonal environmental conditions. Nutrient return from organic matter is estimated by the physico-chemical properties of the litter. Moreover, the rate of decomposition and the nutrient releases are highly influenced by magnitude of litter produced, litter quality and nutrients release, as well as, by climatic conditions and existing microbial communities in the soil system. Ecological impact of carbon and nutrient dynamics in the litter layer is considerable in a forest ecosystem.

An Overview of the Role of Plant Functional Traits in Tropical Dry Forests

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are characterized by pronounced seasonality in precipitation, with several months of prolonged drought, 80% of annual precipitation occurring during a four- to six-month rainy season, and high interannual rainfall variability. Surprisingly, there are relatively few studies addressing patterns of functional trait in tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystems. Functional trait analysis across plant species and the environment is a rapidly developing research field with many possible applications for forest restoration practice. Trait-based ecological research within TDFs will advance our understanding of how these ecosystems interact with and differ from other tropical ecosystems.