This edited book covers all aspects of forest deforestation and degradation in detail and their link to land degradation. Poor natural resource management is often a contributory factor in the depletion of resources particularly like degradation of land which hinders the goals to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN). Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 15.3 states: "By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world." To achieve the set goals a comprehensive multidirectional approach is required involving policymakers, field functionaries, researchers, and above all educators. The book compiles the field experiences and wisdom of some of the best researchers and authors working in the field of land degradations for quite a long time. The objective of the book is to disseminate the status of land degradation, the importance of achieving land degradation and share success stories of reclaiming Land degradation, and suggests means and ways of achieving land degradation neutrality. This book act as a repository of knowledge on Land degradation neutrality for students, researchers and practitioners, and policy planners.

Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. or 'siris' is one of the important tree species in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is believed to be wild in the sub-Himalayan tract from the Indus to the Khasi Hills and the Andaman islands. In the Western Himalayas, it ascends up to 1500 m elevation. It has a great potential to be incorporated under social forestry programs due to its multipurpose use. Seeds of Albizia species are exogenously dormant due to impermeable seed coat or pericarp to water which is responsible for low and irregular germination resulting in to low quality uneven stock. The identification of suitable dormancy breaking treatment holds great promise in the production of evenly grown nursery. The present volume is a dissertation work of the first author Suman Malla at master's level submitted to Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV), Pundibari, Cooch Behar West Bengal (India) under the guidance of the third author Dr Sumit Chakravarty, Assistant Professor, UBKV Cooch Behar.

Albizia procera found in sub-Himalayan tract and Himalayan valleys grows up to an elevation of about 1,200 m in the Indian sub-continent. It has a great potential to be incorporated under social forestry programs due to its multipurpose use. However, the use of this species in plantation and in agroforestry system is not gaining popularity because of unavailability of quality planting stock. Seeds of Albizia species are exogenously dormant due to impermeable seed coat or pericarp to water which is responsible for low and irregular germination resulting in to low quality uneven stock. The identification of suitable dormancy breaking treatment holds great promise in the production of evenly grown nursery. The present volume is a dissertation work of the first author Gopal Shukla at master's level submitted to Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV), Pundibari, Cooch Behar West Bengal (India) under the guidance of the second author Dr Sumit Chakravarty, Assistant Professor, UBKV Cooch Behar. Presently, Dr Shukla is working as a Research Associate at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Research Center, Ranchi (Jharkhand) India.

Biodiversity has attracted the attention of people in general and scientist community in particular because of increasing awareness of its importance on the one hand and the anticipated massive reduction on the other hand. Thus, in today's context of population explosion coupled with pollution, environmental degradation and climate change, the main concern is protection and production of bio-resources world-wide.The Earth Summit of 1992 particularly laid stress on the integration, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.The prerequisite for this is to identify and quantify the biodiversity. The present volume deals with the cause, consequence and pattern of phyto-diversity of a sub-humid tropical forest ecosystem in foot hills of Indian Eastern Himalayas along with a comprehensive review of works related to above topic.The present volume is a doctoral work of the first author Gopal Shukla submitted to Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya(UBKV), Cooch Behar West Bengal (India)under the guidance of the second author Dr Sumit Chakravarty Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry, UBKV Cooch Behar.Presently Dr Shukla working as Research Associate at ICAR Research centre Ranchi