Nagpur is rapidly urbanizing, and in the process witnessing decline in its green status which is one of the identities of the city. The study aims to understand the current species diversity, composition and structure in different classes of greens prevalent in the city. As urban green spaces (UGS) are also reservoirs of carbon stock, the study estimates their biomass. Through rigorous field work, data were collected from 246 sample plots across various UGS classes as pre-stratification. Then the biomass was estimated using non-destructive method with species-specific equation. The diversity of tree species recorded in UGS varies, with high diversity recorded in avenue plantation and institutional compounds. The overall variation in species composition among UGS classes was 36.8%. While in managed greens the species composition was similar, in institutional greens and forest it was different. Particularly, in forest the evenness was high with low diversity and low species richness. The structural distribution indicate lack of old trees in the city, with high number of tree species between diameter classes of 10–40 cm. Biomass was recorded high in road-side plantations (335 t ha⁻¹) and playgrounds (324 t ha⁻¹), and trees with bigger girth size where the main contributors. The dominant species indicates that high growth rate, tolerance to drought and pollution are the key attributes considered for species selection by local authorities. Though the city holds green image, vegetation along the avenues and institutions are stressed, exposed, and threatened by felling activities for grey infrastructure expansions. In such scenario, protection and preservation of older trees is crucial to maintain the carbon stock of the city. In addition, local authorities need to focus on effective afforestation programs through public participation to achieve high survival rate and reduce the maintenance cost. For species selection in addition to phenology and growth rate, tree biomass and life span needs to be considered to significantly enhance the urban environment and increase the benefits derived from UGS.

Urban heat islands (UHI) are developing due to increasing urbanization and loss of vegetation in major cities in India. Increased urbanization modifies the urban microclimate that leads to significant land-use changes resulting in surface conversion and heat release, which poses serious risks to human health, environment and the ecosystem of the Himalayan ecosystem. Hence, mitigating UHI becomes important and requires a better understanding of underlying associated biophysical processes. In the study an attempt has been made to demonstrate the impact of urbanization on land surface temperature (LST) in Shimla and Dehradun, capitals of the Western Himalayan states, India using satellite data and spatial metrics. The process was analyzed using urban coverage patterns obtained from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 and corresponding sensors from TM, ETM ⁺ , and OLI. The Built-up and Non-Built-up areas were extracted and the biophysical parameters NDVI, NDBI, NDWI and LST were calculated to capture different features of urban growth. The result indicated, that the built-up area increased from 32.19 km ² (2000) to 68.37 km ² (2016) in Dehradun and from 12.38 km ² (2000) to 29.47 km ² (2016) in Shimla during the study period, resulting in an increase in NDBI and LST and Reduction and NDVI and NDWI. Results showed that temperature hotspots were largest in urban areas, followed by vegetation and water bodies. A significant correlation ( p < 0.05) was observed between LST and biophysical parameters -NDVI, NDBI, NDWI. Spatial metrics at the class and landscape levels show that increased urban growth from 2000 to 2016 has made the landscape fragmented and more heterogeneous. The Identified trends and changes in landscape patterns and their impact on heterogeneous urban areas suggest that the study is feasible to estimate LST, NDVI, NDBI and NDWI with reasonable accuracy that will likely have influence on policy interventions.

Himalayan forests are crucial global carbon reservoirs that contribute significantly to carbon mitigation efforts. Although situated within a single climatic zone, Himalayan forests include diverse forest types within a short distance due to variations in altitude, mountain range, slope, and aspect. This study aimed to estimate ecosystem carbon storage (including plant biomass, deadwood, litter, and soil organic carbon [SOC]) and allocation and to evaluate carbon sequestration and carbon credit potential in chir-pine plants (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.), deodar (Cedrus deodara [Roxb.] G. Don), oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus), and sal (Shorea robusta [Roth]) forests in the central Himalaya. Volumetric equations were utilized across diverse tree species and supplemented by field sampling, particularly by employing the quadrat method to quantify tree biomass. The carbon stocks within ecosystems varied considerably, ranging between 122.44 and 306.44 Mg C ha⁻¹, with discernible differences among forest types, with oak forests exhibiting the highest carbon stock, followed by deodar and sal forests, and pine forests showing the lowest. The allocation of ecosystem carbon stocks among the different components, including trees (21%–34%), soil (64%–77%), deadwood (0.9%–0.35%), and litter (0.46%–1.20%), demonstrated significant variability. The Mantel test revealed the significant influence of environmental factors on carbon storage. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration ranged from 448.98 (pine forest) to 1123.16 (oak forest) Mg CO₂ ha⁻¹, while carbon credit values ranged from 1346.96 EUR ha⁻¹ (pine forests) to 3379.49 EUR ha⁻¹ (oak forest). In this study, dominant trees in various forest types contributed to higher carbon storage in their biomass and forest soil, resulting in greater carbon credits. The present research evaluated ecosystem carbon storage, CO₂ sequestration potential, and carbon credit valuation for major forests in the central Himalaya. By incorporating these findings into forest management plans and strategies, the carbon sequestration potential and carbon trading of the central Himalayan forest ecosystem in India can be enhanced.

Herbaceous vegetation is of great ecological importance and responds quickly to environmental changes. The present study was aimed to understand the variation in herbaceous species composition, biomass and soil physico-chemical properties in the naturally formed gap and the understory of semi-arid forests in the Aravalli hills. Four permanent plots consisting of the gap as well as the understory were established. To study herbs phytosociological attributes and biomass, 10 quadrats of 0.5 × 0.5 m size were laid in each plot. For soil physico-chemical properties, 5 soil samples were collected randomly at 0–10 cm depth from each plot. Relationships among biodiversity indices, herbaceous biomass and soil physico-chemical properties were determined using Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and correlation analysis. Across the sites, Poaceae was the dominant family. All species showed a contagious distribution pattern. In the understory, Importance Value Index (IVI) was the recorded highest for Oplismenus burmannii, ranging from 138 to 230.5 while in the gap, it was the highest for Achyranthes aspera (56.15) followed by Eragrostis ciliaris (53.1). Both sites included, herbaceous community biomass in the gap ranging from 700 to 900 g m⁻² while in the understory it ranged from 30 to 70 g m⁻². Cenchrus ciliaris (597.97 g m⁻²) and Chrysopogon sp. (391.2 g m⁻²) contributed a major proportion of herbaceous community biomass in the gap. Oplismenus burmannii (52.2 g m⁻²), Dipteracanthus prostratus (16.6 g m⁻²) and Cynodon dactylon (9.6 g m⁻²) contributed a major proportion of herbaceous community biomass in the understory. The understory soil had significantly (p < 0.05) higher soil moisture (%), electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (TN) compared to the gap. Even though canopy had positive effects on soil physico-chemical properties, it has negatively influenced herbaceous species composition, diversity and biomass, due to significant reduction in solar radiation reaching the ground.