Background: The livelihood patterns of indigenous tribal communities residing in the Ghumsur forests are intricately interwoven with their dependence on forest-related activities. However, the degradation of forest ecosystems, particularly the incidence of forest fires, exerts a profound impact on the socio-economic dynamics and resilience of these communities. Consequently, an exigent need arises to comprehensively elucidate, evaluate and comprehend the nuanced characteristics of these areas concerning the complex interplay between forest fires and livelihoods.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A thorough investigation was conducted to evaluate livelihood vulnerability to forest fires in the Ghumsur North Division forests. This assessment utilized the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), incorporating 34 indicators condensed into six factors for a comprehensive composite index. The factors represented various aspects of vulnerability and were based on tangible indicators reflecting the complexity of livelihood vulnerability. Data sources were primarily used, with indicators standardized on a scale from 0 to 1, where values near 1 indicated higher vulnerability.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The Gallery sub-region is particularly vulnerable due to factors like poor infrastructure, increased reliance on forests, close proximity to forested areas, socio-economic fragility and exposure to extreme weather events. It&rsquo;s crucial to improve adaptive capacity in fire-affected regions to reduce vulnerability to forest fires. Tailored policy interventions should focus on sector-specific development programs and involve communities in adaptation planning to address the link between livelihoods and susceptibility to forest fires.

Forest Fire Hazards and Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment of Ghumsur Forests in Ganjam District of Odisha

<div style="text-align:justify">The globalized view of natural resource is strictly connected with quantitative measures and strongly depends on expert assessments and assumptions with poorly understanding local knowledge and local facts, finally leads to unreliable conclusion. Hence, this review intends to investigate the globalization of natural resources and its effect on the lives of indigenous people. The study found that the conventional global approach tends to focus on quantitative measures by contrast the local and traditional approach tend to focus on qualitative information. Thus, local tailored forest conservation and management programs create a social environment that allows unique local environmental values to emerge increasing motivational force of environmental values in the conventional science. This reflects that giving recognition to and work with and through local real situations where problems are identified and solutions are determined makes environmental conservation more cost effective and sustainable. Local people believed that resources not only provide material benefits but also other cultural and social values. Indigenous peoples with a historical continuity of resource-use practices often possess a broad knowledge base of the behavior of complex ecological systems in their own localities. This knowledge has accumulated through a long series of observations transmitted from generation to generation. Where indigenous peoples have depended, for long periods of time, on local forests for the provision of a variety of resources, they have developed a stake in conserving, and in some cases, enhancing biodiversity.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Natural Resources Globalization and Its Effect on the Indigenous People; Evidence from the Theoretical and Empirical literature: Review</div>

<div>Declining per capita land, water and other resources triggered by changing climate and increasing population need resource conservation technologies (RCTs) for agricultural sustainability. This paper has presented findings from recent research on resource conservation technologies that have been attempted in different regions of India. The superiority of resource conservation technologies (RCTs) such as laser land leveling, zero tillage, bed planting, direct seeded rice, leaf colour chart, green seeker and crop diversification over conventional methods of cultivation practices is evaluated in terms of saving of energy, water and labour, increase in crop yield, water productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, net returns and making agriculture climate smart. Zero tillage with residue retention increase soil organic carbon sequestration, conserve soil moisture and lower soil temperature thus making agriculture climate smart. Direct seeded rice is solution for labour scarcity, excessive water and fuel use in transplanted rice. Use of leaf colour chart saves nitrogenous fertilizers. Laser land leveling and bed planting practices increase water productivity and crop yield over conventional practices. But the machinery required for adoption of RCTs are heavy and costly, so the study has suggested the use of machines on co-operative basis and also the wider scale testing of new technologies under diverse production systems.</div>

Resource Conservation Technologies in Era of Climate Change: A Review

Background: In Russia 5.2 million hectares of protective forest plantations were created on agricultural land. Forest strips optimize moisture turnover, heat and gas exchange of the territory and transform agrarian landscapes into more sustainable forest-agrarian ecosystems (agroforest landscapes). Studying the impact of shelterbelt forests on the transformation of soil properties in the context of climate change (organic carbon storage) is an important problem. The aim of our research was to study the effect of shelterbelt forests on soil indicators and to digitally map the contours of forest-meliorated soils on the test site using GIS-technology and field studies. 
 
Methods: In the present study, the methodology of soil studies in agroforested soils (1978) and the methodology of assessing the accumulation of substances in plants and soils in agroforested landscapes were used to study forest-meliorated soils. We proceeded from the position that the reclamation effect of forest belts occurs at a distance of 30 heights. The research was conducted from 2016 to 2022. 
 
Result: Research has established, that the soil profile under the forest belt has an organogenic horizon A0 (forest floor); the thickness of the humus horizon (A+B1) under the forest belt is 8-10 cm higher compared to other zones. Spatial distribution of humus content in the A+B1 horizon from the forest belt to the centers of inter-belt squares (zone 20H) is not characterized by great variability and clear patterns and on average makes 1.15-1.2%. The increase in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content in the soil occurs in the direction from the forest belt to the 20H zone. The indicator of dense residue in terms of the content of readily soluble salts is not relevant in estimating the forest belt&rsquo;s influence on transformation of soil properties. A preliminary digital map of the contours of forest-reclaimed soils has been compiled. The obtained materials will serve as a basis for modeling the spatial and temporal dynamics of soils under forest belts in the zonal section and improving soil fertility in the interstrip space.

Influence of Forest Strips on Changes in Soil Properties in the Agrolandscape

<div style="text-align:justify">India tops the world in aquaculture production next to China. The present Blue Revolution envisages tripling fish production of India by 2020 which necessitates effective resource utilization. The aquaculture resources of a country cannot only be limited to land and water availability but also to its species diversity, workforce and infrastructure facilities. Though Indian aquaculture has registered increased production in past few years, the productivity in terms of water and manpower resources remain very low. There is also a need for diversification of species for mariculture activities. Hence, this paper examines the status of Indian aquaculture from a global perspective to sort out ways for enhancing productivity.</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">Resources and Productivity of Indian Aquaculture &ndash; Status and Prospects</div>

<div>The search for viable agricultural production systems in the era of unpredictable climate events has elevated the prospects of agroforestry practices for resilience and sustainability. The litter biomass in these ecosystems govern the biogeochemical nutrient cycling prevalent, but can also serve as organic inputs in crop production under situations where these are considered as menace and cumbersome to dispose. When left to decay under natural conditions litter takes a considerably long time for decomposition and release of nutrients entrapped in them. With the increasing need to conserve natural resources and energy, recycling of organic wastes assumes major significance. Leaf litters are untapped sources of nutrients and are generated in substantial quantities in most of the agroforestrty systems. Among the different alternatives available for recycling biomass residues, composting is considered most efficient and viable option, but recent innovations such as biochar production and thermochemical digestion have also been attempted. Organic farming strategies call for in situ production of nutrient inputs for economic viability of the practice and hence information on alternative technologies to enrich the repository of organic manures in the form of litter compost will be of immense importance. These composts could be recycled to soil for enriching soil organic carbon, plant nutrients and to sustain soil health in the long run. Proper utilization of the biowastes in the tree based systems will also ensure reduction in environmental pollution and forest fire incidents that otherwise threaten life. The review unveils the possible technologies for recycling the litter and use as a nutrient source but emphasizes the need for a suitable environment favouring the rapid decomposition.</div>

Recycling of Leaf Litters: Biowaste Management for Resource Conservation

Background: Assessing the forest suitability of soils is one of the key areas of agroforestry science. Research in this direction makes it possible to characterize areas where tree and shrub vegetation does not grow under natural conditions. The research carried out makes it possible to assess the possibilities of afforestation in the area of interest; they contribute to the perception of landscape diversity in the context of the reclamation efficiency of the created systems of protective forest plantings, their productivity and durability. Identification of soil suitability for forests is closely related to the assessment of soil quality and fertility. The study of forest suitability of soils has a pronounced regional aspect. This article presents materials from cartographic studies of the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region of the Russian Federation. The study region is characterized by a wide variety of soil cover. Dark chestnut, chestnut soils and light chestnut soils are common in this zone. The processes of erosion, salinizationand deflation make a great contribution to the diversity of soil complexes. 
 
Methods: In this work, the cartographic research method is the main one. Achieving the research goal, creating a cartographic model of the forest vegetation properties of the study area, was carried out in three stages. At the first stage, the contours of the soil map at a scale of 1:400000 were classified into forest suitability groups. During the second stage, based on the functionality of the QGIS software package, new soil contours were created. At the third stage, area characteristics were taken, share parameters were calculated and an analysis of changes in soil cover was carried out in natural and economic areas. The research materials presented in this article were obtained during the implementation of the state task of the research work of the FSC of Agroecology RAS. The research period is from 2021-08 to 2023-11. 
 
Result: The result of the research is the creation of a cartographic model of the forest suitability of soils in the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region. Based on measuring the areas of soil contours for each of the 17 administrative districts, the ratio of groups of forest suitability of soils was established. The revealed value of the share indicator for the study area as a whole is as follows: soils I, forest suitability groups occupy 10.4% of the territory; II -9.3%; III - 68.3%; IV - 12%. The data obtained are necessary for planning agroforestry work in the study area.

Assessment of Forest Suitability of Soils in the Dry Steppe Zone of the Volgograd Region

Background: The article presents the results of a study which is characterizing the impact of a forest shelterbelt on the productivity and profitability of winter wheat of the dry steppe zone of Volgograd region (Russia). The relevance of the problem was due to the fact that most of the agriculture is used to be concentrated in the steppe and forest-steppe natural zones. It is known that these territories were used to be forest reclamation facilities in the form of a network of protective forest belts. Also it touched&nbsp; the research aimed n need&nbsp; to evaluate the efficiency of winter wheat production within depression zones. The hypothesis means that&nbsp; the soil and climatic conditions of dry steppe regions, were utilizing these depression zone for arable land which significantly reduced the productivity and profitability of winter wheat cultivation. 
 
Methods: The work presents the biological productivity which was taken into account by using the method of meter-long plots in triplicationand a soil moisture was determined by the thermostat-weight method and grain quality was determined by using an infrared analyzer &ldquo;InfraLUM FT-12&rdquo;. The territory was visualized by using an unmanned aerial vehicle and chemical analyzes of soil samples were performed in the soil analysis laboratory of the FSC of Agroecology RAS by using generally accepted methods in soil science. 
 
Result: The research determined that depression zones arise in the steppe and dry steppe zones on the territory of agroforest landscapes near protective forest plantations. The areas of these zones occupy 4-8% of the total arable land area. Observations have shown that soil moisture in the depression zone in the meter-long layer is lower than in the inter-strip space. At the same time, the lack of mineral nutrition elements leads to a significant decrease in biometric indicators and the quality of winter wheat grown.

The Influence of the Depression Zone of Forest Shelterbelts on the Productivity and Profitability of Winter Wheat

Background: Quantifying the growth patterns, biomass production and carbon storage capability of different forest types has gained more attention in recent decades due to the global focus on climate change and carbon budgeting. Depending on their condition, age, species makeup and management techniques, forests can be both generators and sinks of carbon. Significant carbon reservoirs can be found in the North-Western Himalayan broadleaf forests, which are frequently distinguished by their multi-layered canopies and abundant understory vegetation. 
 
Methods: The current investigation was carried out in the broad leaf forest of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh from 2020-21 to 2021-22. The study region belongs to subtropical to sub temperate climatic zone. The identified research area was split into five replicates of 10 &times; 10 m each. All of the trees in each replication were chosen and counted. A total of 41 trees from the broad leaf forest were chosen and the tree species included. Bauhinia variegata, Grewia optiva, Pinus roxburghii, Toona ciliata and Quercus leucotricophora. Tree biomass and growth at the study site were counted. The following growth metrics were measured: total tree height, crown length, crown spread, crown index and Dbh. Volume equations were used to estimate biomass. Growth and biomass metrics were averaged (Mean+S.E.). 
 
Result: Present study provided the information about growth of broad leaf forest, its biomass and capacity to sequester carbon in the mid-hill Himalayas. With a height of 18.33 metres, Pinus roxburghii dominated the forest tree stand while- Bauhinia variegata had height and crown spread of 5.06 m and 0.57 m, respectively. The calculated total biomass of broad leaf forest was 407.48 Mg/ha/year, that might have contributed to the total carbon stock of 183.36 Mg/ha/year. Carbon was sequestered by broad leaf forest at a rate of 672.95 Mg/ha/year. The findings indicated that excellent management methods are necessary for such forests to have improved soil and carbon-storing capacity.&nbsp;

Growth, Biomass and Carbon Sequestration Potential of Broad Leaf Forest in North-West Himalayas

Background: The Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, is a critical marine ecosystem facing threats like overfishing and habitat degradation. This study assesses the vulnerability of marine fishery resources using a Resource Vulnerability Index (RVI), highlighting key factors driving resource depletion. 
 
Methods: The RVI was developed using indicators such as overcapacity (excessive fleets), declining catch per unit effort (CPUE), shifting species composition and environmental degradation. Data were collected from fisheries reports and local surveys, with the index calculated for Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts. 
 
Result: Ramanathapuram exhibits the highest vulnerability among the districts in the Gulf of Mannar, driven primarily by severe overfishing and significant habitat loss. Thoothukudi follows with moderate vulnerability, facing similar challenges of overcapacity and environmental degradation. Tirunelveli, while showing comparatively lower vulnerability, still displays notable signs of resource depletion, necessitating attention to ensure sustainable fisheries management. Urgent measures are needed, including regulating fleet sizes, promoting sustainable fishing, restoring habitats and implementing policies for alternative livelihoods and resource monitoring.