Forests being the lungs of planet Earth are the most important ecosystems. They act as carbon sinks and sustain a huge amount of carbon in them. They play an extremely important role for the survival of the living beings on this earth. From human beings to the flora and fauna of the earth’s ecosystem depend on the forests in some way or the other. Forests are the repositories of enormous biodiversity on this planet. They are an adobe to millions of species of animals including human beings, plants and microorganisms. They also give massive ecosystem services to mankind and to all the living beings thriving on this earth. They regulate climate, water cycles and carbon sequestering on this planet. They even provide a livelihood to human beings all over the world. They check global warming on this earth. The parameter of sustainable development is that forest and biodiversity is conserved for the coming generations also. Forests are the most important repositories of terrestrial biological diversity. The diversity of life amongst the living beings and their distinct habitats, the interactions between the various components of the biodiversity makes this planet a habitable place for various life forms. Forest conservation is extremely important for intergenerational equity and the principle of sustainable development paves the way. The forests especially in the domains of forestry and agriculture provide 40% of the world’s economy. This is due to the biological diversity in the forest ecosystems. 70% of the world’s poor populace who live in rural areas is directly dependent on biodiversity for their livelihood. A rough estimate of 60 million indigenous folks are somehow reliant on forests for their daily needs. The Supreme Court of India in Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra v. State of Uttar Pradesh elucidated the importance of ecosystem services as provided by the forests.

A global assessment of potential and anticipated impacts of efforts to achieve the SDGs on forests and related socio-economic systems. This title is available as Open Access via Cambridge Core.

The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. That loss is most severe in developing countries, where the conditions of human existence are most difficult. Conserving Biodiversity presents an agenda for research that can provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. The book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development. Although specifically directed toward development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers in developing nations, this volume should be of interest to all who are involved in the conservation of biological diversity.

This edited book deals with plant genetic resources and their status, availability, and ecological niche in natural habitat. Usage and conservation practices followed by various tribal communities and their rationale are also discussed in the book. The book explores application of biological tools to conserve plant species and optimization protocols for conservation and elicitation of secondary metabolites and other value addition products. The book is organized into sub-themes covering: (i) Ecological status of plant genetic resources (ii) Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and conservation practices (iii) Ex-situ conservation practices and bioprospecting Globally, plant genetic resources are deeply rooted in culture and economy. Since the early 1990s, the changing socio-economic situation has increasingly put pressure on plant genetic resources, in some cases leading to a severe loss of their diversity. For this reason, most vulnerable areas at risk of genetic erosion have been demarcated and protected by forest laws and regulations. Therefore, this book brings to light the opinions of leading experts in the area of ecology, conservation biodiversity, ethanobotany, and bioprospecting of plant genetic resources. The book is for use by graduate and advanced undergraduate students and researchers in plant physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and agriculture. Additionally, it is extremely useful as a general reference on conservation of flora and large-scale cultivation.

Innovative Exploration Methods for Mineral, Oil, Gas, and Groundwater for Sustainable Development provides an integrated approach to exploration encompassing geology, geophysics, mining, and mineral processing. In addition, groundwater exploration is included, as it is central to the development of earth resources. As the demand for coal, minerals, oil and gas, and water continues to grow globally, researchers must prioritize sustainable exploration methods. Old technologies are being replaced speedily and exploration work has become fast, focused, meaningful, and readily reproducible keeping in pace with the changing global scenario. The themes of exploration of energy resources, exploration of minerals, groundwater exploration and processing and mineral engineering are separated out into sections and chapters included in these sections include case studies focusing on tools and techniques for exploration. Innovative Exploration Methods for Mineral, Oil, Gas, and Groundwater for Sustainable Development gives insight to modern concepts of exploration for those working in the various fields of energy, mineral, and groundwater exploration. - Presents innovative research that will both challenge and complement the traditional concepts of exploration - Covers a wide range of instruments and their applications, as well as the tools and processes that need to be followed for modern exploration work - Includes research on groundwater exploration with a focus on conservation and sustainable exploration and development