Himalayan Forests in Changing World: Volume II: Climate Impacts, Biodiversity and Human Interactions

This second volume on Himalayan forests provides critical insights into Himalayan forests' response to the dual pressures of anthropogenic and natural stressors during the unprecedented environmental change. It examines forest reactions to physical disturbances, climatic shifts and the extreme temperature regimes that characterize treelines, thus predicting ecosystem responses under changing conditions. Through detailed analyses of treeline dynamics, fire ecology and wildlife distributions, this volume demonstrates forest ecosystem resilience and vulnerability to environmental stressors and provides insights into the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors. A distinctive focus on human-forest relationships examines both direct benefits and ecosystem service flows that sustain Himalayan communities. From livelihood transitions and shifting cultivation practices to silvicultural approaches, this volume bridges ecological science with practical applications. Coverage of chronic disturbance patterns and forest recovery trajectories provides frameworks for understanding long-term ecosystem dynamics.

This volume is a reference for conservation practitioners, climate researchers and forest managers. It addresses contemporary challenges in mountain ecosystems.

Dr. Rajesh Thadani is an ecologist with a Ph.D. and Masters in Forestry from Yale University, USA. He has taught at Yale and has extensive experience working in the Himalaya as the founder of CEDAR – a research based organization, and the Chief Executive of Chirag - a grassroots NGO. He has helped establish several non-profits in the Himalaya and is Chair of KGU, a not-for-profit company as well as of a prestigious Mumbai college. He is on the board of Himmotthan and NEIDA which together work in over one thousand villages of the Western and Eastern Himalaya. He has over 30 publications on Himalayan and temperate forests. He also has over 15 years work experience in the corporate sector having headed a prominent manufacturing company.

Dr. S.P. Singh is amongst the best known Himalayan ecologists. His research interests range from the blade of a leaf to ecosystem services. He and his associates have studied almost all dimensions of forest ecosystems, including biomass and productivity, nutrient cycling, carbon budget, phenology, tree water relations, fire adaptations and ecosystem services. He has played a vital role in the recognition of Himalayan ecosystems as a global asset and developed the concept of ecosystem services in national accounting in India. Prestigious national academies such as Indian National Science Academy (INSA) have acknowledged Dr. Singh’s work by recognizing him as a Fellow of the Academy. He has chaired several national level committees advancing science education and Himalayan development. He has published over 200 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals of well-repute.