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Forests are subjected to stress from climatic and non-climatic sources. In this study, we have reported the results of inherent, as well as climate change driven vulnerability assessments for Indian forests. To assess inherent vulnerability of forests under current climate, we have used four indicators, namely biological richness, disturbance index, canopy cover, and slope. The assessment is presented as spatial profile of inherent vulnerability in low, medium, high and very high vulnerability classes. Fourty percent forest grid points in India show high or very high inherent vulnerability. Plantation forests show higher inherent vulnerability than natural forests. We assess the climate change driven vulnerability by combining the results of inherent vulnerability assessment with the climate change impact projections simulated by the Integrated Biosphere Simulator dynamic global vegetation model. While 46% forest grid points show high, very high, or extremely high vulnerability under future climate in the short term (2030s) under both representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5, such grid points are 49 and 54%, respectively, in the long term (2080s). Generally, forests in the higher rainfall zones show lower vulnerability as compared to drier forests under future climate. Minimizing anthropogenic disturbance and conserving biodiversity can potentially reduce forest vulnerability under climate change. For disturbed forests and plantations, adaptive management aimed at forest restoration is necessary to build long-term resilience.

This review presents a systematic synthesis of the various methods and measures that have been used to investigate the effects of coal mining in India. A total of 87 peer-reviewed articles were collected for each year from 1970 to 2014 using a keyword based search. The articles compiled were analyzed and categorized according to the parameters addressed and the methodological approach adopted. Quantitative analyses were conducted to indicate the gap areas. Results indicate that research concerning air pollution, water pollution, land use pattern and environmental impacts are the best represented while soil, forest and human health are very poorly represented. Land cover change studies have experienced a rapid surge however studies on socio-economic and human health impacts are very few in number. Majority of the studies mostly used remote sensing and change detection techniques. For a genuine and thorough interpretation of coal mining impacts, it is quite important to understand the direct as well as the far-reaching environmental and social consequences of coal mining. This article identifies the areas that have been well documented and primarily it emphasizes the areas that require further research in the Indian scenario.

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Due to massive mining practices and subsequent spurt of human habitation, the East Bokaro coalfield region of Jharkhand in India has faced enormous changes in the landscape. This article aims to study the land cover changes and fragmentation dynamics of the landscape especially forests from 1972 to 2016. Remote sensing based satellite images combined with spatial analysis were used to derive the land cover and fragmentation dynamics over the last 44 years. The results reveal the existence of six primary land cover types namely agriculture, forest, water bodies, mining, settlement and barren land/scrubland. Agriculture and forest which are the dominant categories decreased while mining, settlements and barren lands increased at the expense of forests and agriculture. Fragmentation analysis brings out significant trends in landscape changes that have occurred from 1972 to 2016. The most prominent fragmentation metrics were observed for forests and agriculture classes. Agricultural land has continuously been converted and fragmented into other classes. The forests also show strong fragmentation during 1972-2001 period but in 2016 the level of fragmentation is not very high. This study is a preliminary step towards evaluating the long term impact of mining and its related activities on the landscapestructure.