The study aimed to determine the species composition of the “Nova Sofiyivka” park and assess the appropriateness of plant selection for creating thematic compositions. The analysis of 9 exhibition zones in the “Nova Sofiyivka” park revealed differences in the species composition across the various areas. The dendroflora of the Entrance Zone plot includes 13 taxa from 5 families. The composition of the Entrance Group plot consists of 9 taxa of woody plants, which belong to 5 families. The species diversity of woody plants in the Fountain Square plot includes 19 taxa from 10 families. The dendroflora of the Regular Garden plot includes 16 taxa from 12 families, the Fairytale Garden plot includes 14 taxa from 8 families, and the Japanese Garden plot includes 68 taxa from 12 families. To createthe dendro-compositions in the Ukrainian Homestead plot, 7 taxa from 7 families are used, in the Dragon Garden plot, 7 taxa from 6 families, and in the Lake plot, 11 taxa from 4 families. The plant compositions on the territory of the “Nova Sofiyivka” park include 112 taxa of woody plants: 49 taxa of deciduous tree species, 47 taxa of deciduous shrubs, 8 taxa of coniferous tree species, and 8 taxa of coniferous shrubs. The research results can be used for planning ethno-compositions and creating recreational areas in urbanized environments.

Seasonal fluctuations significantly impact bird species diversity and community composition. This study was conducted in the eastern Rapti river, Nepal during winter and summer seasons to explore bird diversity in different seasons. The line transect method was adopted for this study. Altogether 21 transects were placed, and 110 bird species were recorded. According to the Shannon-Weiner diversity index, greater avian richness and diversity was recorded in the winter season than the summer season. In contrast, bird species were evenly distributed during the summer season than the winter season. The order passeriformes, and guild insectivorous had the highest number of bird species, and resident species were the most prominent. One of the notable sightings in this study was the record of Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) for the Makwanpur District, Nepal. This study provided an overall checklist of bird species in the region, laying out baseline data on the area’s avifauna to aid and guide future studies. The Eastern Rapti river provides a unique habitat for bird species and requires a conservation management plan to protect the birds and their habitat.

The tropical forests of Nepal face significant threats due to disturbances like grazing, human activities, forest fires, deforestation, and construction. This study aimed to assess the impact of disturbances on tree diversity, carbon stock, and regeneration and regeneration in two community forests in Dang, Western Nepal: Pathivara Community Forest (highly disturbed) and Janakalyan Community Forest (less disturbed). In the present study, data from 60 circular sample plots (30 in each forest) were analyzed. Soil samples, collected to a depth of 30 cm, were tested for organic matter, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and pH content. Eighteen tree species across 15 genera and 10 families were recorded, where a higher diversity was observed in the less disturbed forest (LDF) compared to the highly disturbed forest (HDF). Shorea robusta was the dominant species in both forests, contributing significantly tocarbon storage. The mean carbon stock in HDF and LDF was 46.48 Mg/ha and 72.72 Mg/ha, respectively. The overall regeneration was poor in both forests, particularly among saplings compared to standard community forest inventory guidelines. LDF showed higher organic matter, nitrogen, and potassium content, while HDF had greater phosphorus levels. The study highlighted the adverse effects of disturbances on forest quality and regeneration. The less disturbed forest (LDF) exhibits better carbon storage, soil fertility, and species diversity compared to the highly disturbed forest (HDF). To improve forest conditions, it is recommended to enhance conservation efforts, reduce anthropogenic pressures, and implement effective management practices to support natural regeneration, particularly for saplings.

The Mundhum Trekking Trail (MTT) is a newly revived cultural trail in eastern Nepal, enriching traditional biocultural diversity. MTT shares elevation up to 4165 meters (viewpoint of Silchung Peak) from sea level and encompasses various lakes and mountains with high cultural values. Among them Salpa Pokhari and Silichung Peak (4,155 m asl) are key places. In this communication, we have reviewed the history and the initiatives undertaken to revive this trail, enumerated flowering plants and biocultural diversity and analyzed the ecotourism potentiality of this trail. We reported 264 species of angiosperms, belonging to 84 families and 190 genera, with the maximum number of species and genera belonging to Poaceae followed by Asteraceae. Further, we identified the culturally important plant and animal species used by Kirati people along the trail. Our results indicate that the newly revived historical trail has huge potential both as a cultural and an ecotourism trail. Besides, there has already been a surge of visitors in recent years, there is equally an urgent need to conserve the rich biocultural diversity along the trail to develop and promote it as purely a cultural ecotourism trail.

Human-wildlife conflict is increasing at an alarming rate despite government efforts and local community support, posing a threat to both humans and wildlife species. Relief support for people affected by wildlife induced damage is a widely applied post-conflict mitigation approach. We reviewed relief provisions from government (policies, act, regulation, directives and five-year plan) and non-government organisations, including CBD, FAO, IUCN, and relevant peer-reviewed articles. The relief program was initiated through the Buffer Zone program at periphery of Chitwan National Park. The Buffer Zone Management Committee of Chitwan formed under ‘Buffer Zone Management Regulations, 1996, piloted a relief distribution practice in 1998 for wildlife damage using the 50% of the park’s revenue provided to buffer zone as per the regulations. This relief provision was designed as a compassionate measure to secure local community support for protected area management, offering cash support for losses of livestock, crops or in cases of human casualties. The Government established a legal mechanism of relief support payments to victims for wildlife caused damage through the Directive related to distribution of relief for wildlife caused damage 2009 under the provision of the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973, and its Regulations 1975. By incorporating one and half decades of lessons learnt, the most recent Directive was formulated in 2023 to provide relief support for damage caused by 16 wildlife species. Such a provision reduces economic risks to surrounding communities and is expected to minimize retaliatory killings of wildlife. The high number of human-wildlife conflict cases demands substantial financial resources, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of such relief programs. This has prompted the exploration of alternative measures to minimize human wildlife conflict, including endowment funds and crop and livestock insurance.

Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) are among the most serious and ongoing threats to the natural world, disrupting ecosystems and affecting the livelihoods of communities worldwide.Nepal's rich ecological diversity, direct dependencies of people on natural resources for their survival, and inadequate preparedness make the country highly vulnerable to biological invasions.IAPS are spreading at an alarming rate across Nepal, reaching almost all districts, and encroaching immensely on forests, wetlands, farmlands, and even within protected areas.This invasion is not only an environmental issue but also a challenge to the country's native biodiversity and threatens the economic stability of local communities who rely on healthy natural systems for agriculture, water, atmosphere, medicine, and income.As it has extensively invaded land, water, and even the atmosphere -disrupting food production, ecosystem services, and public health -it may pose even national security threats in the coming decades if its invasion continues unchecked.

The Red-headed Bunting is considered a vagrant species in Nepal, with very few records from the country. We reported the first observation of this species from the Dang Deukhuri Foothill Forests and west Rapti Wetlands, an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) located in Deukhuri, Dang District, southwestern Nepal. A total of seven individuals were observed, with one photographed on 16 April 2024, during a point-count survey of farmland birds. This is the westernmost known record of the species from Nepal. This finding underscores the importance of the IBA as a stopover for migrants using the Central Asian Flyway. The IBA remains largely unexplored, and a thorough survey of the birds and other biodiversity of the IBA is needed. Furthermore, based on data from recent observations of this species in Nepal and the IUCN criteria, we recommend that this species be reclassified from “Vagrant” to “Extant” and “Passage migrant” for Nepal.

This study presents the first comprehensive survey of higher fungi, particularly mushrooms, in the World Peace Biodiversity Garden, Raniban, Kaski District, central Nepal. It was carried out during the monsoon seasons in 2022-2024. A total of 44 fungal species, comprising 2 Ascomycetes and 42 Basidiomycetes, were collected. The Ascomycetes were restricted to a single order with two families and two genera, while the Basidiomycetes embraced eight orders with 24 families and 30 genera. Agaricales dominated with 17 species, followed by Polyporales and Russulales (6 species each). The identification was done following relevant literature, and the nomenclature is based on Index Fungorum. The most diverse families were Polyporaceae and Russulaceae, each with 6 species, while other families were represented by 1 to 3 species. Soil was found to be the predominant substrate for 23 species. During discussions with the local collectors and after visual observations, it was found that out of 16 edible species, seven species are locally collected for culinary purposes and Amanitalike species are avoided by locals as they are considered poisonous. Further exploration, ethnomycological surveys, and ecological studies are necessary to investigate the fungal diversity of this area.

Assessing carbon stocks in forest ecosystems is essential for the development of effective management strategies. This study was carried out with aim to assess the tree species richness, phytomass carbon stock, and soil organic carbon (SOC) in Barandabhar forest in Chitwan, Bagmati Province, Nepal under four management regimes within forest such as: Buffer Zone Forest (BZ), Buffer Zone Community Forest (BZCF), Community Forest (CF), and Protected Forest (PF) using concentric circular plots of 20 m radius (each of 0.12 ha). Altogether 256 sample plots were employed. Among them, 119 plots were in BZ, 48 plots in BZCF, 56 plots in CF, and 33 plots in PF. All tree species in each plot were recorded and their height and diameter at breast height (DBH ≥ 5cm) were measured to calculate phytomass carbon stock. Soil parameters such as pH, Bulk density, and SOC for soil samples collected from 0–10 cm depth in each plot were also analysed. In total, 30 tree species were recorded in the study, with Shorea robusta contributing the highest phytomass carbon stock. The mean phytomass carbon stock across the study area was 201±5 t/ha, while the mean SOC in the soil was 10.2±0.2 t/ha. Across the regimes, the highest phytomass carbon stock was recorded in the BZCF i.e., 239 ± 14 t/ha, followed by PF (207 ± 12 t/ha), BZ (202 ± 6 t/ha), and CF (162 ± 8 t/ha), respectively. The better predictors of phytomass carbon were soil pH and bulk density including tree basal area. These findings emphasize that forest management practices could have a significant impact on the carbon storage potential of forests.

A shelterwood system was implemented, with regeneration felling carried out in the most degraded areas and mother trees retained to support seedling establishment. Empirical findings indicate high regeneration density but low species richness. Additionally, concerns remain regarding the quality of regeneration, including the origin of seedlings following regeneration felling. In this context, this study examines regeneration dynamics in six community-managed Sal (Shorea robusta) forests in Nepal’s far-western region, where dry climatic conditions and forest fragmentation pose significant challenges to regeneration. A total of 376 sample plots were surveyed, with managed plots (subjected to regeneration felling) compared to natural stands. Seedling and sapling densities were assessed using systematic sampling, and a semi-destructive method was employed to determine the origin of seedlings (seed vs. seedling coppice). The findings revealed that managed plots had significantly higher density and species richness across both seedling and sapling stages of regeneration. Seedling coppice dominated both managed and natural stands, with significantly higher seed-originated seedlings in natural stands. Overall, the study highlights the effectiveness of regeneration felling under a shelterwood system, which enhances regeneration density and species richness, and improves the mechanical properties of wood by promoting seed-originated seedlings.