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Sustaining the development of rural and pastoral communities' hinges on livelihood resilience. Pastoralist household resilience relies on resource availability and decision-making abilities. Despite extensive studies on pastoralist livelihoods, a significant knowledge gap remains in understanding the nuanced adaptive capacities of diverse households, particularly amid grassland degradation. Thus, this study investigates the household-based livelihood resilience of pastoralists in China's Three-River Headwater Region, offering policy recommendations for resilient livelihoods. Using stratified random sampling, 758 pastoralist household heads underwent semi-structured interviews to collect data. Five household characteristics, encompassing age, gender, energy use, well-being perception, and multi-household grazing participation, were evaluated. Looking ot the nature of data, descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were performed in this study to draw the valid inferences. The results revealed a positive correlation (p < 0.05) between household head age and livelihood resilience, with divergent resilience across age groups. Varied energy usage yielded distinct impacts; households employing solar or mixed energy sources exhibited heightened resilience (p < 0.05). Household well-being emerged as an invariant variable concerning resilience. Furthermore, engagement in multi-household grazing (an informal institution) significantly (p < 0.05) influenced pastoralist livelihood resilience. These insights advocate targeted support for young household heads and the adoption of clean energy. Exploring the deeper strategies and mechanisms of multi-household grazing can enhance understanding and policy integration, guiding eco-friendly progress within rustic landscapes for pastoral communities. [Display omitted] • Socio-personal practices shape pastoralists' livelihood resilience. • Solar-yak dung integration boosts pastoral community resilience. • Multi-household grazing enhances interconnectivity, cooperation, risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf functional traits support plant survival and growth in different stress and disturbed conditions and respond according to leaf habit. The present study examined 13 leaf traits (3 morphological, 3 chemical, 5 physiological, and 2 stoichiometry) of nine dominant forest tree species (3 coniferous, 3 deciduous broad-leaved, 3 evergreen broad-leafed) to understand the varied response of leaf habits. The hypothesis was to test if functional traits of the conifers, deciduous and evergreen differ significantly in the temperate forest and to determine the applicability of leaf economic theory i.e., conservative vs. acquisitive resource investment, in the temperate Himalayan region. The attributes of the functional traits i.e., leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf water content (LWC), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration (E) followed the order deciduous > evergreen > coniferous. Leaf carbon and leaf C/N ratio showed the opposite pattern, coniferous > evergreen > deciduous. Chlorophyll (Chl) and photosynthetic rate (A) were highest for evergreen species, followed by deciduous and coniferous species. Also, structural equation modelling determined that morphological factors were negatively related to physiological and positively with chemical factors. Nevertheless, physiological and chemical factors were positively related to each other. The physiological traits were mainly regulated by stomatal conductance (Gs) however the morphological traits were determined by LDMC. Stoichiometry traits, such as leaf C/N, were found to be positively related to leaf carbon, and leaf N/P was found to be positively related to leaf nitrogen. The result of the leaf functional traits relationship would lead to precise prediction for the functionality of the temperate forest ecosystem at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Most of the NbS of Tropical drylands of India are not follow the IUCN standard criteria. • The Identified NbS are baised towards environmental services than addressing social needs of the people. • Improved NbS interventions requires intensive enagement of stakeholders for addressing social causes. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a flexible, adaptable, and multi-functional strategies employed to address climate change. However, all the claimed NbS are actually do not adhere the criteria of being NbS. Therefore, present study analysed 87 articles to appraise adherence of potential NbS as per the IUCN Global Standard, along with evaluation of flow of associated ecosystem services (ES). The review identified 39 interventions, out of which only twelve interventions adhered the criteria of NbS. Among the classified NbS, two interventions, namely, sustainable forest management (SFM) (80.83%) and haveli rejuvenation (75.61%) strongly adhered to the IUCN Standard. Lack of adherence in the non-classified NbS interventions was mainly attributed to absence of information on inclusive governance, monitoring and associated trade-offs. The identified 39 interventions were also observed to be enhancing a total of 37 ES, evaluated through 37 distinct indicators i.e. different and enhanced flow of ES were observed by the different NbS. However, the majority of classified NbS were biased towards flow of environmental services than social services. Present study results that all claimed NbS cannot fulfilled the intended objectives of NbS and thus cannot be classified under the NbS as per global standard. Moreover, assessing the flow of associated ES may be an additional support to broaden the scope of NbS implementation. Therefore, present study also highlights to integrate the flow of ES along with the adherence criteria of NbS. Moreover, the review also facilitate to understand constraints associated with the implementation of potential NbS interventions and thus, suggests considering wider aspects in the future researches for assessing the implementation of NbS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sargent) stands were selected across their distributional range from Himalaya, i.e. from lower altitude to upper altitude to understand distribution of chir tree density, basal cover and biomass with altitudes. Tree density was highest >1800 m (405 ind ha-1) and lowest (171.67 ind ha-1) between 1401 and 1800 m. Tree height was highest (23.69 m) between 1001 and 1400 m and lowest (17.71 m) >1800 m. Basal area was highest (30.51 m² ha-1) between 1001 and 1400 m and lowest (17.16 m² ha-1) between 1401 and 1800 m. The highest volume was observed between 1001 and 1400 m altitude and lowest between 1401 and 1800 m. Bole biomass was highest (145.51 t ha-1) between 1001 and 1400 m and lowest (80.78 t ha-1) between 1401 and 1800 m. The mean leaf litter biomass production was highest in summer and showed decreasing trend in winter to rainy seasons, except in Rudraprayag where the highest biomass was observed in summer and regressed from rainy to winter seasons. The study concluded that, the density, height, basal area and volume of Pinus roxburgii trees varied with altitude in the Himalaya, but it is not directional. Density of trees plays an important role which changes biomass accordingly. Litter production had inverse relation with altitude, however increase in biomass of litter at >1801 m was observed due to new plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new materials with facile synthesis and better semiconducting and photonic properties is crucial for the fabrication of durable thin film-based semiconductor devices. In this study, an organic semiconducting and photo-conducting metallogel has been obtained by deprotonation of the ligand SHAL using LiOH followed by treatment with Co(II) acetate in dimethylformamide (DMF) under ambient conditions. Various characterization techniques are used to analyze the mechanical, morphological, and optical properties. This analyses reveal the formation of a organic semiconducting Co(II)-metallogel with a nanofibrous architecture. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of this material in thin film form demonstrates its n-type organic semiconducting nature with a good rectification ratio in the Schottky diode configuration, among the best-known values of all these materials. The Co(II)-metallogel is analyzed based on its semiconducting properties as a self-powered (in absence of external bias voltage) photodetectors (PDs) in an ITO/Co(II)-metalogel/Au configuration, for the first time. The measured photocurrent demonstrates responsivity, R(λ), of 2.77 x 103, 0.27 x 103, and 0.025 × 103 mA/W, external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 73.4 x 104, 63.1 x 103, and 25 x 103, and detectivity (D) of 5.28 x 1012, 5.2 x 1011, 4.7 x 109 Jones, with on/off ratio of 16 080, 1580, and 150 at 0 V under the illumination of 470-nm (blue), 530-nm (green), and 630-nm (red) light sources, respectively. The high performance of the PDs is attributed to the UV–vis spectrum of the thin film, morphology, and metal-semiconductor energy band schematic outcomes. Overall, this study presents considerable potential for novel applications of Co(II)metallogels in technologically challenging electronic and optoelectronic devices. [Display omitted] • Development of organic semiconducting metallogel via facile technique. • The polymeric nature of the coordination using the various technique. • Investigation of semiconducting electronic and optoelectronic properties in thin film form. • PDs parameters R(λ) of 2.77 × 103 mA/W, EQE of 73.4 x 104, and D of 5.28 x 1012 Jones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Development of novel passivation technology via double barrier quantum well Si structure with stacks of SiO x / nc-SiO x /SiO x layers. • Optimization of quantum well thickness for resonance tunneling of charge via quantum well. • Enhancement in diffusion barrier properties, reduction in recombination current density and contact resistance. • Optimized stack of nc-SiO x /5-nm QW/c-Si passivation structure with substantial enhancement in lifetime (τ eff) of 3560 μs, an implied open-circuit voltage (iV oc) of 735 mV and reduction in J o of 1.5 fA/cm2. Modern solar cell technology suffers low surface passivation, high recombination losses at the interface, and dopant diffusion losses that limit solar cell's efficiency. Therefore, a double-barrier quantum-well (DBQW) structure-based surface passivation contact is introduced here to resolve these shortcomings. In this regard, DBQWs of different thicknesses with stacks of SiO x / nc-SiO x (3, 5, 8, and 10 nm)/SiO x layers were explored as surface passivation layers and dopant diffusion barriers. Multiple characterizations were utilized to examine DBQW thickness-dependent properties, such as contact resistance, passivation, and recombination current density; the best result was for the 5-nm-thickness QW passivation layer. To justify the obtained result, theoretical calculations were carried out based on the experimental results, which suggested the resonance tunneling of charge carriers across the 5 nm DBQW structure. Furthermore, SIMS was explored to examine the diffusion barrier property of these QWs, which revealed that dopant diffusion was suppressed by the QW with the double SiO x layer. Finally, the nc-SiO x (n) /5-nm QW/c-Si surface passivation structure showed substantial enhancement in a lifetime (τ eff) of 3560 μs, an implied open-circuit voltage (iV oc) of 735 mV, and reduced recombination current density (J o) = 1.5 fA/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling of metal surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with organic molecules and successive fabrication of large-area films is an effective approach for enhancing photogenerated excitons while retaining their optical thickness. In this regard, we present the facile synthesis of a silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) SPR–polymer coupled large-area nanocomposite thin film (8 ± 0.5-cm-diameter circular film) at the air–liquid interface and the fabrication of a high-performance visible-region photodetector (PD). The formation of nanocomposite films was investigated via multiple techniques, which revealed the formation of an SPR/organic molecule unified system. The photoresponse of the nanocomposite film was examined by fabricating a sandwich-structure ITO/PQT-12-Ag NP/Al Schottky device PD and measuring the photocurrent; responsivity R(λ), which was 9.624 × 104, 3.384 × 104, and 2.372 × 104 mA/W; external quantum efficiency, which was 19.03 × 103, 8.92 × 103, and 5.54 × 103; and detectivity (D), which was 1.06 × 1013, 3.70 × 1012, and 2.60 × 1012 Jones, at a bias voltage of −1.5 V for 627-nm (red), 470-nm (blue), and 530-nm (green) light, respectively. The high performance of the PDs in the visible region was discussed according to the spectral, KPFM, morphological, and energy band diagram results. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of AgNPs of size 7–10 nm in chloroform via phase transferred method • Fabrication of AgNPs@rr-PQT-12 large area (8 ± 0.5 cm diameter) SPR coupled nanocomposite film at air-water interface • Investigation of as synthesized nanocomposite film via multiple characterization techniques • Fabrication of elevated-performance PDs in Schottky diode configuration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous agroforestry systems are important reservoirs of biodiversity, and ecosystem services with a potential contribution for conservation of biodiversity while sustaining the livelihood of the rural populace. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) agroforestry systems (PAFS) form an essential constituent of the rural landscape in the Indian Eastern Himalayas and other parts of Asia. The traditional PAFS management in southern Assam is unique in that it involves shifting cultivation transitioning from native forests to a PAFS. Scarcity of information on the functioning and services in terms of species diversity and carbon storage potential in the traditional PAFS has restricted the opportunities for consideration under the nature-based solutions of climate action including REDD+. Therefore, the present study assessed the tree diversity and ecosystem carbon storage in a chronosequence from swidden agriculture through different phases of PAFS establishment. The result demonstrated that basal area in the PAFS increased with age. The most dominant species in the native forests was Palaquium polyanthum , while agricultural land use and PAFS aged <5, 11–15 and > 15 years old were dominated by Gmelina arborea , Albizia procera , Areca catechu and Hevea brasiliensis , respectively. The highest value of Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H) was recorded in native forests (2.71), and lowest in 5–10 years old PAFS. The ecosystem carbon storage declined from 261.43 Mg ha−1 in native forests to 181.07 Mg ha−1 in <5-years old PAFS. In <5 years old PAFS, the ecosystem carbon storage was 30 % lower than the native forest; while at >15 years it was merely 5 % less than the native forests. The traditional PAFS maintains a steady ecosystem carbon stock while reducing land use related carbon emission and providing additional co-benefits to the communities. Therefore, the traditional PAFS constitute a good opportunity for REDD+. [Display omitted] • The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H) was the highest in native forests (2.71), and the least in 5–10 years PAFS. • Forest clearing and burning prior to the establishment of PAFS caused a decline of 30 % of the ecosystem C. • The bush density of the pineapple increased with the increase in the PAFS age. • At >15 years of PAFS ecosystem carbon loss was merely 5 % compared to native forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban poor with limited resources and residing in precarious informal settlements are often one of the most vulnerable populations to climate variability and change. The present study seeks to assess the vulnerability of informal settlers to climate variability and change. Drawing from natural hazards, politico-economic, and ecological resilience strands of vulnerability literature we developed an integrated set of indicators for vulnerability assessment. The vulnerability of informal settlement dwellers was assessed in the hilly district of Kathmandu and the plain regions of the Nawalpur district of Nepal by collecting primary data from 300 randomly selected households, 150 from each district. Communities living in informal settlements experienced higher exposure to climate risk with lower adaptive capacity. Informal settlements with scarce resources, depilated infrastructure, fewer livelihood opportunities and knowledge gaps pose considerable vulnerability to climate variability and change. Our findings reveal that the inhabitants of informal settlements in the plain region are more vulnerable than that of the informal settlements of the hilly region due to higher exposure and sensitivity and lower adaptive capacities of the informal settlers of the plains. Enabling factors such as livelihood diversification, improved infrastructure, health facilities, social capitals, and support from local government with contextual policies and interventions, can facilitate better adaptation among the informal settlers and make them resilient to climate variability and change. • Urban informal settlers are extremely vulnerable to climate variability and change. • Informal settlers have higher exposure and sensitivity and lower adaptive capacities. • The informal settlers of the plains are more vulnerable than that of the hills. • Livelihood diversification, better physical and social capitals could make them resilient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cellulose, lignin and specific leaf area were the predictors of litter decomposition. • Cellulose 40%, lignin 36% and specific leaf area 8% contribution. • Green leaf and dead leaf traits both influenced the decomposition. We examined eight green leaf traits (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter, leaf water content, leaf carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and chlorophyll) and eight litter traits (cellulose, lignin, litter carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, lignin: nitrogen, carbon: nitrogen and ash content) and the litter decomposition rates of 10 tree species from a temperate forest ecosystem. Amongst all green leaf and litter traits tested, cellulose content, lignin content and specific leaf area were identified as the best predictors of litter decomposition, with percentage contributions to litter decomposition of 40%, 36% and 8%, respectively. The results indicated that litter decomposition in the temperate forest ecosystem studied was not dependent solely on litter traits, as green leaf traits also contributed to nutrient cycling. Individual green leaf traits of living species and dead leaf characteristics both influenced the fate of leaves, affecting decomposition and nutrient and carbon cycling in the forest ecosystem. For a better overall understanding of the decomposition mechanisms operating in a temperate forest, both green leaf traits and litter traits thus need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Livelihood vulnerability index has been proposed for char lands of riparian region. • Differential vulnerabilities of char dwellers govern by distance from river bank. • Social and biophysical factors determine differential vulnerabilities in char lands. • Using clustering and hot spot analysis, high-, high-low-, low vulnerable areas in the char lands were identified. Indian Gangatic Plain is food basket of the country and vulnerable to variety of factors. The western region of the Gangatic plain is worst affected due to river bank erosion, frequent floods and climate change. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the livelihood vulnerability of the communities of riparian region of Manikchak block of the Gangatic plain by classifying the region into three zones based on the distance from the river. Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) was applied by selecting suitable social and biophysical indicators through inductive and deductive approaches. The data for the estimation of LVI was collected by randomly selecting a total of 240 households from the villages of the three zones. The spatial modeling of LVI was achieved by applying spatial cluster and outlier analysis using local Moran's I Index and by hotspot analysis using Getis-Org-G* statistics. Differential vulnerabilities across the three zones was observed with nearer to river zone was highly vulnerable. The villages nearer to river was more vulnerable due to greater exposure to river bank erosion and flood; higher sensitivity to insufficient access to basic amenities and poor adaptive capacity due to low socio-economic status and poor livelihood security. Moreover, the spatial pattern of hotspot was also identified as high vulnerable, high-low vulnerable and low vulnerable areas in the region. The results signified that the social and biophysical parameters were the main contributors for the differential vulnerabilities in the region. Therefore, the study concludes that the vulnerability of the communities varies with respect to their location to river and the differential approaches based on the social attributes of the communities and spatial characteristics of the location may be useful for addressing the livelihood vulnerability of the communities residing along the bank of the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate adaptations by small-holders in Afghanistan are governed by household characteristics. • Assets, profession and male population determine the adoption of the adaptation strategies. • Government must provide alternate livelihood and reinforce farming for improved adaptation. The South Asian countries are amongst the most affected countries by climate change mainly due to poverty and complex socio-economic-demographic challenges. Afghanistan, a South Asian country, is affected by climate change, extreme weather events and losses accompanying its poor adaptation status. Therefore, the present study intends to evaluate the adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers based on primary data collected through pre-tested questionnaire from 260 households distributed in 26 villages across both plain and mountain regions of Yangi Qala district, Afghanistan. The questionnaire contained questions about the general household information and farm-level adaptation strategies by smallholders. Logistic regression models were applied to four major adaptation strategies practiced by the farmers in form of scientific techniques applied during crop cultivation; cultivation of drought-resistant varieties; cultivation of new crop and migration of family members with household characteristics for each region considered separately as well as jointly. The results confirmed that household characteristics like house type, LPG usage, livestock population, irrigated land area, education, secondary profession and male population determined the strategies to abate climate risks by the peasant smallholders of the region. The study highlights the need to identify the in-situ barriers and enablers of adaptation to facilitate an expanded uptake of adaptation practices by smallholders. Therefore, the government must employ policies addressing the challenges by applying a community-inclusive approach for climate adaptation in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-hazard risk was evaluated for 109 districts of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). • A Mountain Specific Risk Management Framework (MSMRMF) was proposed. • The MSMRMF consists two components i.e. risk assessment and risk addressal. • The framework deals risk management strategies for multi-hazard prone mountains. Mountains are characterized by their specificities such as fragility, marginality and remoteness. They are prone to various hazards such as drought, flood, forest fire, landslide and therefore physical, ecological and social systems of the mountains are at risk. Climate change adds to intensifying the magnitude of multi-hazard risk in mountains. The present study attempts to evaluate risk induced by multi-hazard and climate change in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework. The proposed multi-hazard risk index was based on indicators from a broader domain and applied on 109 administrative districts of IHR. Exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and coping capacity were defined using comprehensive and sub-regional indicators identified through inductive and deductive approaches. The result showed that the differential risks among the districts of IHR were governed by the multiplicity of the factor such as demography, amenities, natural capital, partnership, technology and spatial specificities of the districts. The result highlighted the need of inclusion of spatial specificities for the risk mitigation in the IHR and therefore a Mountain Specific Risk Management Framework (MSMRMF) was proposed for sustaining the mountainous communities. The proposed MSMRMF contained two broad components as risk assessment and risk addressal. The framework detailed the risk mitigation and coping strategies (based on adjustment of internal and external strengths) for addressing risks. Risk mitigation was proposed to achieved through habitation resilience, natural capital enhancement, external partnerships, climate change adaptation, and technological interventions. The framework would provide an insight of risk and risk management strategies for the multi-hazard prone mountain regions for the sustainable development under the global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Productivity parameters of Cedrus deodara forests decreases with altitude. • Biomass and soil carbon of Cedrus deodara forests decreases with altitude. • Litterfall production also decreased with altitude. Carbon inventories are urgently needed for understanding climate dynamics and implementing climate mitigation strategies, but such data is scarce in for forest ecosystem of Himalaya. Therefore, the present study focuses to supplement the existing information by estimating carbon stocks in temperate forests dominated by Cedrus deodara along the altitudinal gradients in the Central Himalaya. Three altitudes i.e., lower (1750 m), middle (1900 m) and upper (2050 m) of the stand was considered to understand and estimate biomass and soil carbon storage potential of the forests based on the standard protocol. The results showed that the soil carbon stock (SOC) decreased significantly with increasing soil depths and altitudes. Litterfall production in the forests varied adversely with altitude. Above and below-ground biomass carbon stock also decreased along with altitude. The study observed that the total carbon stock (soil, trees and forest floor) of the Cedrus deodara forest in different altitudes was 395.4 t ha−1 (lower altitude), 321.6 t ha−1 (middle altitude) and 282.5 t ha−1 (upper altitude). The estimates of the Cedrus forests would provide guidelines for estimating carbon for forest-based mitigation activities in the Himalayan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Smallholder farmers in Afghanistan are at risk due to changing climate. • Smallholder farmers of hilly region were highly vulnerable as compared to the farmers of the plain region. • Adaptive capacity of the farmers' of both the region were poor. Smallholder farmers in Afghanistan are already facing various risks in agricultural production due to past continuous insurgencies. Climate change is likely to amplify the risk and make them even more vulnerable. The present study attempted to evaluate the vulnerability profiles of smallholder farmers due to climate change using the IPCC Framework. Primary data on relevant parameters for assessing climate change-led social vulnerability in the region were collected by classifying study region into two zones: the plain and the hills of Yangi Qala District in Takhar province, Afghanistan. Thirteen villages from each zone were selected at random, and face-to-face interviews were conducted with ten randomly selected households in each of the selected villages in both zones based on a pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire contained indicators for all three dimensions of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The collected data were subjected to a proposed vulnerability index, after estimating the indices of the three dimensions of vulnerability. The Iyenger and Sudershan weighting method was used to assess the contribution of each vulnerability dimension. Vulnerability was classified according to different categories based on beta distribution to evaluate the villages' vulnerability status. The results showed that about 23% of all 26 sampled villages in both zones had low exposure, 26% moderate exposure and 51% high exposure to climate-change hazards and extreme weather events. High sensitivity was observed in 51%, moderate sensitivity in 7%, and low sensitivity in 42% of villages. High adaptive capacity to climate change was observed in 38% of villages, 19% were moderately adaptive and 42% showed a low adaptive capacity. High vulnerability was observed in 50% of villages, 4% were moderately vulnerable, and 46% had low vulnerability. A high proportion of smallholder farmers in the hilly zone in the sampled district were highly vulnerable, exposed and sensitive with a low adaptive capacity to climate change compared to the plain zone. The high vulnerability in the hilly zone was attributed to limited resources with a low adjustment capability to counter the disturbances, especially in crop cultivation, in response to climate change. A handful of low-cost and local approaches such as improving farmer extension services, introducing small-scale local infrastructure projects, reinforcing informal safety nets and protecting natural ecosystems could be viable cost-effective options that would also be sustainable given their low recurring costs and the limited maintenance required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mountain specific socio-environmental indicators were identified through Principal Component method. • Spatial socio-environmental vulnerability map along altitude was generated for Garhwal Himalaya. • Middle altitude zone was most vulnerable. • Study suggests altitudinal adaptation strategies for addressing climate change. Socio-environmental vulnerability to climate change in mountain landscapes depends upon multiple factors that can vary across altitude zones. However, there is limited knowledge on specific indicators suitable for assessing socio-environmental vulnerability that address altitude-related variations. This study systematically analysed important components of vulnerability and mapped them by weight for four altitude zones in the Indian Himalayas. Indices focusing on components of the three different dimensions of vulnerability (adaptive capacity, exposure, sensitivity) were identified based on the literature. Data on these different indices were then collected through a pre-tested questionnaire-based survey of 403 randomly selected households in the four altitude zones (<1000 (low), 1000–1500 (middle), 1500–2000 (high), >2000 m a.s.l. (very high)) in the Garhwal Himalaya, India. Components of vulnerability dimensions were assessed and significantly contributing components were identified by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). An entropy method was used to weight the dimensions of vulnerability for the different altitude zones. Vulnerability was estimated based on the Manush approach of human development index. The data were used to produce a spatial map based on a proposed Spatial Social Vulnerability Index (SSEVI). SSEVI was proposed based on social and environmental indicators of vulnerability with a mix of spatial indicators to generate spatially bound vulnerability. The results indicated that communities in the middle and high altitude zones (1000–2000 m a.s.l.) were more vulnerable (score 0.32 and 0.31, respectively) than those in the low and very high zones (score 0.29 and 0.30, respectively). Greater vulnerability was mainly due to high exposure to extreme events and less adaptive capacity, which can affect agricultural production negatively, in combination with high population density in middle-altitude communities. There was lower pressure on natural resources and better connectivity in the low altitude zone (<1000 m a.s.l.), reducing vulnerability. The spatial SSVI map clearly revealed vulnerable hotspots, suggesting that government supported adaptation measures should not be similar across the altitude gradient in the Indian Himalayas, but should be based on available resources, pressure and livelihood options for achieving sustainability under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Socio-Environmental Vulnerability Index (SEVI) is proposed. • Weigtage allocation by Principle Component Analysis (PCA) using factor loadings and variation explained. • Middle altitude zone was most vulnerable. • Differential adaption strategies for different altitude. Climate change is affecting biotic and abiotic components of the Himalayan ecosystem, disturbing existing socio-ecological systems. Future changes in the climate, coupled with ongoing development activities in the Himalayas, are likely to have a negative effect on socio-ecological systems and increase the vulnerability of the region. This study explored the socio-environmental vulnerability of socio-ecological systems at different altitudes in the Indian Himalayas. Indicators of different dimensions of vulnerability (adaptive capacity, exposure, sensitivity) were identified based on literature lists of contributing indicators. Data on the indicators were then collected in a questionnaire-based survey of 128 randomly selected households in four different altitude zones (<1000 (low), 1001–1500 (Middle), 1501–2000 (High), >2000 m a.s.l. (Very High)). Other indices were developed under the different components and significantly contributing components of these were shortlisted based on principal component analysis (PCA). The results indicated that communities in the middle and high altitude zones (1001–1500 and 1501–2000 m) were more vulnerable (score 0.68 and 0.71, respectively) than those at lower (0.42) and very high altitudes (0.49). This was probably due to high exposure to extreme events that can affect agricultural production negatively, in combination with high population density in mid-altitude communities. In contrast, there was low pressure on resources and more fertile land above 2000 m a.s.l., contributing to lower vulnerability. This analysis demonstrates that policy perspectives should not be similar across the altitude gradient in the Indian Himalayas, but should rather be formulated based on available resources, pressure, and livelihood options for achieving sustainability under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant functional attributes are subjected to environmental adjustments, which lead to modulations in forest processes under environmental changes. However, a comprehensive assessment of the relationships between plant traits and carbon stock remains subtle. The present study attempted to accomplish the gap of knowledge by examining the linkages between forest carbon with plant traits within the Banj Oak forest in the Garhwal Himalaya. Twelve individuals from three major species in the Banj Oak forest were randomly selected for trait measurements, and soil samples were collected randomly across the area for evaluation of soil nutrients and carbon. Forest biomass and soil carbon were estimated following standard protocols. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was applied to establish the relationship between above ground carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) with leaf and stem traits, and soil nutrients. Stem traits were tree height and tree diameter; whereas leaf morphological traits were leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content; leaf physiological traits were photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate; and leaf biochemical traits were leaf carbon concentration, leaf nitrogen concentration, and leaf phosphorus concentration. Soil nutrients were available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium. Based on SEM results, AGC of the forest was positively correlated with stem traits and leaf physiological traits, while negatively correlated with leaf morphological traits. SOC was positively correlated with soil nutrients and leaf biochemical traits, whereas negatively correlated with stem traits. These findings may support for precise quantification of forest carbon and modeling of forest carbon stocks besides providing inputs to forest managers for devising effective forest management strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Smallholders and pastoralists are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to their high reliance on socio-ecological systems for their livelihood. Building their resilience to these adverse effects of climate change is crucial for mitigating their vulnerabilities, especially in remote and fragile ecosystems. This study aims to assess the climate change livelihood resilience of smallholders and pastoralists in the Indian Himalayas. We build a livelihood resilience index, using the three dimensions of resilience, namely assimilative capacity, autopoiesis and cognitive ability, and weighed using entropy-TOPSIS approach The dimensions of resilience was estimated through indicators by a household survey of 289 randomly selected respondents across the three districts of Garhwal Himalayas. The results showed that the livelihood resilience of smallholders was greater than pastoralists. Among pastoralists, settlement brought positive changes to their livelihood, opening the gateway to access basic facilities. Key findings of the study indicate that public policy should focus towards information accessibility, encouraging environmental awareness and conservation, promoting social inclusion and cooperatives, and fostering grass root organization structures like forest-level organisation through informality to strengthen the resilience of communities to climate change., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest. The manuscript does not have any commercial products., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Mountains are one of the most ecological functional areas and provide wide range of ecosystem services (ESs) to the adjoining people. However, the mountainous ESs are highly vulnerable due to land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate change. Therefore, evaluations of the nexus between ESs and mountainous communities are essentially required for policy purpose. This study aims to assess ESs by analyzing LULC focusing in three ecosystems (forest, agriculture, and home garden) from urban and peri-urban areas for last 3 decades, applying participatory and geospatial approaches for a mountainous city in Eastern Himalayan Region (EHR), India. The findings showed that a substantial loss in ESs has occurred during the period. Moreover, there were substantial variations of ecosystem importance and dependency between urban and peri-urban areas with highest importance of provisioning ESs in peri-urban areas and cultural ESs in urban areas. Moreover, among the three ecosystems, forests were strongly supporting the peri-urban areas communities. The result demonstrated that the communities are highly dependent on various ESs for their livelihoods, but the changes of LULC had substantial impact on the loss of ESs. Therefore, implementation of effective land uses planning strategies and measures for ecological security and livelihood sustainability is to be managed with people participation in mountainous areas., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Particulate matter (PM) is a critical air pollutant, responsible for an array of ailments leading to premature mortality worldwide. Nature-based solutions for mitigation of PM and especially role of forests in mitigating PM from an ecosystem perspective are less explored. Forests provide a natural pollution abatement strategy by providing a surface area for the deposition of PM. Depending on their structure and composition, forests have varying capacities for PM adsorption, which is again less explored. Hence, in the present study, we evaluate the removal capacity of PM by the forest-type groups of India. Deposition flux and total PM removal across sixteen forest types were estimated based on the 2019 dataset of PM using Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) data. Externality values and PM removal costs by industrial equipment were used for associating an economic value to the air pollution abatement service by forests. The total PM 2.5 removal by forests in 2019 was estimated to be 1361.28 tons and PM 10 was estimated to be 303,658.27 tons. Deposition of PM was found to be high in littoral and swamp forests, tropical semi-evergreen forests, tropical moist deciduous forests, and sub-tropical pine forests. Tropical dry deciduous forests had the highest net weight % removal of PM with 39% removal for PM 2.5 and 39% removal for PM 10 . The air pollution abatement service by forests for PM removal was 188 M US dollars (USD) with externality-based removal service by forests of 2009 M USD. The net PM removed by all forests of India was estimated to be approximately worth ₹ 470-648 Crore (59-81 million dollars) for PM 2.5 and worth ₹56,746-1,22,617 Crore (7093-15,327 million dollars) for PM 10 based on valuation using value transfer method. The study concludes that forests can be a significant contributor to PM reduction at a global level. Especially for India's National Clean Air Programme and further research and policy considerations, the findings would be extremely useful., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Phenology, an important ecological attribute, deals with the development of vegetative and reproductive parts of trees called "phenophases", which are important determinants of primary productivity and sensitive to climate change. The present study recorded various phenophases of major tree species (i.e., Quercus leucotrichophora , Rhododendron arboreum, and Myrica esculenta ) as per the two-digit numerical system of Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt, Chemische Industrie (BBCH) scale. A total of 72 individual trees, twenty-four from each species, distributed between 1400 and 1980 m. a.s.l elevations were tagged and measured fortnightly for two consecutive years (2019-2021) in the moist temperate forest of Western Himalaya and compared with earlier existing records. Various phenophases were correlated with climatic factors along with duration and thermal time for each phenological growth stage. We found 24 growth stages for Q . leucotrichophora and M . esculenta and 28 for R . arboreum distributed across seven principal growth stages (e.g. bud development, 0; leaf development, 1; shoot development, 3; inflorescence development, 5; flower development, 6; fruit development, 7; and fruit maturation, 8) of trees as per BBCH scale. Maximum growing degree was 748.87 and 627.95 days recorded for R . arboreum and M . esculenta during leaf development, and 796.17 days for Q . leucotrichophora during fruit development. Flower emergence was observed pre, during, and post-emergence of new leaves for R . arboreum , M . esculenta, and Q . leucotrichophora , respectively, which varied at spatial scale with previous findings. Longevity of fruit development to ripening took 17, 4, and 2 months, respectively in Q . leucotrichophora , R . arboreum and M . esculenta . Duration of leaf initiation and flowering was positively correlated with climatic variables, whereas, the reverse was observed for fruiting in the studied tree species. The study concludes that the variations in phenophases of the three species were strongly influenced by climatic variations, especially minimum temperature. The result of the present study would be important in enabling us to formulate efficient forest management strategies by understanding the short-term adaptation of the climate-sensitive important tree species in the western Himalaya., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Urban water management is a growing concern in India's rapidly urbanizing cities. Population growth and climatic variability are exuberating the impact on surface and underground water supply. Understanding the causes and the extent of water vulnerability is required for developing effective strategies for water insecurities. This study attempts to assess the water vulnerability across different wards of a touristic city of Himalaya-Nainital using IPCC approach considering the three dimensions: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Seven indicators, mostly spatial, i.e. edaphic (aspect, elevation) and climatic (land surface temperature) besides some water infrastructural (distance to water distribution) and population, were considered for development of vulnerability index using Analytical Hierarchy Process for assigning weights. These indicators were simple to extract and easy to obtain and mostly available from secondary sources and were capable to account the variability at micro-level. Moreover, the current adaptation mechanisms for water security were also derived through conducting surveys by randomly selecting households across the wards. Staff House and Harinagar wards were the most vulnerable. The survey results that the adaptation mechanism should be managed at individual and organization level. Policy measures such as optimum use of water, grey water recycling, spring rejuvenation, rain water harvesting, and leakage proof infrastructure with intervention of new technologies, may be adopted and implemented for reducing the water vulnerability in the city along with the public participation. The appropriate measures for water vulnerability would further provide support for improving the facilities to the tourists in the city thereby improved economic opportunities to the locals., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The well-being of the human society cannot be ensured and sustainable unless the flow of Ecosystem Services (ESs) would be matching with their consistent demand. The consistent flow of ESs required sustainable management of ecological resources of the ecosystem. The management of ecosystem can be ensured with variety of approaches. Integration of indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) in management prescription with the view that IEK-based extraction of ESs ensures removal of resources from the ecosystem within the limit thereby ensuring the sustainability of ecosystem. The present study is an evaluation to understand the nexus between ESs and IEK for sustainable environmental management. The focus of the study was a tribal dominated socio-ecological patch of Barind Region of Malda district, Eastern India. The assessment of ESs and IEK was based on the data collected from the randomly selected tribal households following the pre-tested questionnaire containing questions on ESs as per millennium ecosystem assessment. The data were analyzed following social preference approach, and statistical tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney). General linear model (GLM) has also been used to examine the impact of socio-demographic attributes on the perceived valuation of ESs. The results revealed that the provisioning ESs (such as water, fuel wood, medical plants) were most preferred followed by cultural and regulating ESs by tribal. Differential importance of ESs was observed among tribal and accounted by gender, education as well as age of the tribe. A gap between the actual accessibility and evaluation of ESs by the tribal communities was also apparent. The socio-demographic attributes have an immense impact on the valuation of ESs and also governed based on the IEK. Various types of indigenous ecological belief systems were closely linked with conservation of ecosystem and sustainable supply of ESs. The present study can contribute to understand socio-ecological nexus with the lens of IEK in tribal dominated ecological landscapes for improved ecosystem and environmental management besides ensuring sustainability of flow of ESs., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The flows of ecosystem services (ESs) from ecological patches (EPs) are being severely challenged due to global change. However, the evaluation of nexus between tribal society and ecological units with focus of tribal livelihood was not a subject of enquiry until recent past. Present study hypothesized that the different EPs has differential nexus in terms of delivery of ESs in Barind region, Eastern India. Dependency and prominence of l livelihood on ESs was evaluated through developing ES dependency index (ESDI) and ecosystem services prominence index (ESPI). Five sub-components (comprising 25 indicators) and ten dominant provisioning ecosystem services (PES) were considered to develop ESDI and ESPI respectively. The seasonal variations of availability of ESs from EPs were also assessed-based five-point Likert scale. The findings of the study showed that (i) the households were highly dependent on PES for their livelihood strategies; (ii) agricultural crops (main foods), housing materials, fuel woods, water, livestock, and medical plants were the dominant ESs; (iii) forests, agricultural lands, water bodies, and homesteads were the main EPs from which ESs were collected; (iv) there was positive correlation between ESDI and ESPI. Moreover, there was substantial variation on dependency of ESs across villages was observed and seasonal variation in ESs was noted in terms of availability and dependency with maximum contribution during the monsoon season. The result clearly suggests that there is a strong nexus between livelihood strategies and ESs in the region. Therefore, diversification of livelihood strategies must be integrated with ESs for human well-being (HWB) as well as environmental sustainability., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Self-powered photodetectors have grown as inevitable members of the optoelectronic device family. However, it is still challenging to achieve self-powered photodetection with good responsivity in the visible spectrum region. Herein, we report solution-processable poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) organic-inorganic hybrid material, which can be used as the active layer in self-powered photodetectors. The morphological and structural properties of the synthesized P3HT-MoS 2 hybrid material has been discussed using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The hybrid material loaded with 1 wt% MoS 2 has shown an enhancement in the self-assembly of polymer in the form of fibrillar formation and excellent structural features in terms of π -conjugation. The self-powered photodetectors have been fabricated in indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass/P3HT-MoS 2 /Al configuration. The merit of P3HT-MoS 2 hybrid photodetectors is measured under the illumination of 470, 530, and 627 nm light in ambient conditions. P3HT-MoS 2 photodetectors show significantly higher responsivity and detectivity. The photo responsivity and detectivity in P3HT-MoS 2 devices are found to be 271.2 mA W -1 and 4.4 × 10 10 jones at zero bias, respectively, for 470 nm light with the optical power density of 74.1 μ W cm -2 . Furthermore, the photocurrent switching behaviour at periodic illuminations of 1 Hz has also been examined for P3HT-MoS 2 self-powered photodetectors., (© 2021 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The deteriorating water quality (WQ) of the sacred north-flowing perennial Indian River, Ganga was a serious concern in recent decades for population adjoining to the river and policy planners. The present evaluation attempts to assess the long-term (1989-2016) physiochemical characteristics of WQ of river Ganga at five upstream locations (Uttarkashi, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Devprayag, and Rishikesh) of Uttarakhand, India using comprehensive pollution index (CPI) and environmetrics (PCA and CA). These methods were used to categorize, summarize expensive datasets, and grouping the similar polluted areas along the river stretches. The WQ of river at all the locations were within the good category and most of the physiochemical parameters were well within their acceptable limit for drinking WQ. Considerably, CPI demonstrated the river WQ was in slight pollution range (CPI: 0.40-1.00) in the year 2007 and 2015 at all the five locations. The positive correlation coefficient (R 2  > 0.50) among NO 2 + NO 3 , Ca, Na, B, and K indicates the significant contribution of organic and inorganic salts through runoffs from catchments due to weathering of rocks. PCA confirmed the input source of nutrients in the river from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Moreover, the upstream WQ assessed was found to be good as compared to the severely polluted downstream region. Due to COVID-19 and shutdown in the country, reduction of pollution load in the river was observed due to the rejuvenation capability of river Ganga. This information can assist the environmentalist, policymaker, and water resources planners & managers to prepare strategic planning in advance to maintain the aesthetic and cultural value of Ganga river in future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two-dimensional (2D) inorganic layered materials when embedded in organic polymer matrix exhibit exotic properties that are grabbing contemporary attention for various applications. Here, nanosheet morphology of molybdenum disufide (MoS 2 ) synthesized via one-pot facile hydrothermal reaction are exfoliated in benign aqueous medium in the presence of indole to obtain a stable dispersion. These exfoliated nanosheets then act as host to template the controlled polymerization of indole. The preassembled MoS 2 -polyindole (MoS 2 -PIn) nanostructures are reorganized at the air-water interface using the Langmuir method to facilitate maximum interfacial interaction between nanosheet and polymer. This report emphasizes large area, homogeneous dispersion of uniform-sized MoS 2 nanosheets (40-60 nm diameter) in the PIn matrix and the formation of stable and uniform film via the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) method. These self-assembled, MoS 2 decorated PIn LS films are characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fabricated LS films in sandwiched structure Al/MoS 2 -PIn/ITO as the Schottky diode portrayed remarkable enhancements in charge transport properties. Our study illustrates the potential of the MoS 2 -PIn LS film in electronic applications and opens a new dimension for uniform dispersion of 2D materials in other polymers via the Langmuir method for device fabrication and enhancement of electrical properties.