The book is designed to provide a review on the methods and current status of conservation of the tropical plant species. It will also provide the information on the richness of the tropical plant diversity, the need to conserve, and the potential utilization of the genetic resources. Future perspectives of conservation of tropical species will be discussed. Besides being useful to researchers and graduate students in the field, we hope to create a reference for a much wider audience who are interested in conservation of tropical plant diversity.

Forests are one of our most valuable resources, yet they are fast depleting with an impending ecological crisis in view. This new book explores the concept of sustainable forest management that involves the use of socially justifiable, economically viable, and ecologically sound strategies for sustainably managing forest resources for present and future generations without diminishing their value. It looks at sustainable forest management practices and highlights the aspects of forest resources, the importance of traditional knowledge, the need for conservation, the impact of climate change, and ecosystem services. It covers the scientific, technical, and socio-economical aspects of forests to further ensure the conservation of forest resources.

The book on “Forestry Technologies – A Complete Value Chain Approach” has been designed to cater to the needs of the stakeholders by judiciously incorporating the recent technologies and research outputs available in various sectors of institutions. The book has four major themes viz., basic and strategic technology, production technology, processing and value addition technology and consumption technology. The basic and strategic technology incorporated seven chapters which include basic information and the recent scientific applications such as: nano technology and urban forestry technology. The production technology incorporated 16 chapters that includes all the recent developments such as: mini clonal technology, high yielding short rotation variety, land development and precision silvicultural technology, and multifunctional agroforestry. Processing and value addition technology incorporated 11 chapters and the consumption technology incorporated five chapters which include the recent developments in processing, value addition and the associated supply chain process. In a holistic perspective, the current book will serve as a readymade reference material to the practicing foresters, scientific professionals, wood based industries, policy makers, forestry students, financial and other academic and research institutions.

The publication was prepared based on information provided by 86 countries, outcomes from regional and subregional consultations and commissioned thematic studies. It includes: •an overview of definitions and concepts related to Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) and a review of their value; •a description of the main drivers of changes; •the presentation of key emerging technologies; •an analysis of the current status of FGR conservation, use and related developments; •recommendations addressing the challenges and needs. By the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act, 2001, promises to balance the intellectual property rights of plant breeders and farmers under one umbrella legislation. However, there remain several grey areas and the rights of farmers, in reality, are still tenuous. Though the rights framework was foregrounded on an understanding between non-governmental organizations and industry, there is lack of clarity at both conceptual and procedural levels. In this context, Sophy K. Joseph analyses the impact of legal policy reforms during the ongoing Second Green Revolution on farmers’ customary rights and livelihood. The author discusses how the extension of private property rights to plant varieties, seeds, and other agrarian resources changed the demographic composition of the rural space, with increased migration of cultivators to the cities. The book argues that the transition from state interventionism (during the First Green Revolution) to state abstention (in the Second Green Revolution) has dramatically influenced India’s conventional agrarian practices and traditions. This work maps the evolutionary process of neoliberal economic and legal policies and its interference with primary concerns such as food security, food sovereignty, and agrarian self-reliance of the country.

Natural resources not only contribute to overall growth of the economy but also help reduce poverty by providing employment and food security to populations on the continent, and is thus the most inclusive growth sector of the economy of Asian countries. Global weather and climate studies are also increasingly being considered a vital source of information to understand the earth’s environment, in particular in the framework of weather and climate studies, land use transformation and human influence across these areas. Satellite earth observing systems provide a unique tool to monitor these changes. This book includes significant and up to date contributions in the field of sustainable natural resources conservation across the globe. While the range of applications and innovative techniques is constantly increasing, this book provides a summary of key case studies where satellite data offers critical information to help understand the causes and effects of those environmental changes, allowing us to reflect on how to minimize their negative impacts. This book is of interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of remote sensing, geographical information, meteorology, and environmental sciences. Scientists and graduate to post-graduate-level students in environmental science will also find valuable information in this book.

The field of genetics is rapidly evolving and new medical breakthroughs are occuring as a result of advances in knowledge of genetics. This series continually publishes important reviews of the broadest interest to geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines. - Includes methods for testing with ethical, legal, and social implications