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Improved cookstoves (ICS) can deliver “triple wins” by improving household health, local environments, and global climate. Yet their potential is in doubt because of low and slow diffusion, likely because of constraints imposed by differences in culture, geography, institutions, and missing markets. We offer insights about this challenge based on a multiyear, multiphase study with nearly 1,000 households in the Indian Himalayas. In phase I, we combined desk reviews, simulations, and focus groups to diagnose barriers to ICS adoption. In phase II, we implemented a set of pilots to simulate a mature market and designed an intervention that upgraded the supply chain (combining marketing and home delivery), provided rebates and financing to lower income and liquidity constraints, and allowed households a choice among ICS. In phase III, we used findings from these pilots to implement a field experiment to rigorously test whether this combination of upgraded supply and demand promotion stimulates adoption. The experiment showed that, compared with zero purchase in control villages, over half of intervention households bought an ICS, although demand was highly price-sensitive. Demand was at least twice as high for electric stoves relative to biomass ICS. Even among households that received a negligible price discount, the upgraded supply chain alone induced a 28 percentage-point increase in ICS ownership. Although the bundled intervention is resource-intensive, the full costs are lower than the social benefits of ICS promotion. Our findings suggest that market analysis, robust supply chains, and price discounts are critical for ICS diffusion.

Dimensions of anatomical and morphological attributes of leaves can influence physiological response to changes in environment over time. Linking structural attributes of leaves to crown position and tree size within naturally developing cohorts of trees can provide a clearer understanding of changes in crown morphology for a species. This study examined leaf anatomy and morphology of Betula papyrifera Marsh. growing in two stages of stand development of interior cedar-hemlock forest, northern British Columbia. Anatomical and morphological measurements of leaves located at six different positions within the crown were made on trees selected from stands that originated 15 years (small tree size) and 145 years (large tree size) after catastrophic fire. Leaf area and mass were measured in the field. Microscopic measures were made in the laboratory of thicknesses of leaves, cuticle, upper and lower epidermis, palisade, and spongy mesophyll. Stomatal density and stomatal aperture lengths were also determined. Leaf anatomy and morphology varied significantly with position in the crown and among size-classes of trees. Changes in leaf anatomy observed among positions within the crown reflect the changing availability of light and moisture experienced during crown development. For both size-classes of tree the largest anatomical dimensions of leaves were at the outer and uppermost parts of the crown, whilst the smallest were at the lower and innermost parts. Foliage of large trees (145 years) exhibit leaf attributes characteristic of the sun-shade dichotomy reported in the literature, but this was not shown for foliage of young saplings (15 years). For the small trees (15 years) the largest leaves were located at the top of the crown while the smallest were located at the bottom. This has been reported for many tropical pioneers but is in contrast to the usual sun-shade dichotomy of temperate pioneers. The large trees (145 years) followed the typical pattern with the smallest leaves at the top of the crown. Information from this study contributes to our understanding of foliar development of tree crowns by demonstrating how leaf structure changes with crown position and tree size under stand competition.Résumé : Les dimensions des caractères anatomiques et morphologiques des feuilles peuvent influencer les réactions physiologiques aux changements du milieu dans le temps. Le fait de relier les caractères structuraux des feuilles avec leur position dans la couronne et la dimension de l'arbre, parmi un ensemble d'arbres poussant naturellement, peut conduire à une meilleure compréhension des changements morphologiques au niveau de la couronne, pour une espèce donnée. Dans cette étude, les auteurs examinent l'anatomie et la morphologie foliaire du Betula papyrifera Marsh. poussant à deux étapes du développement d'un peuplement, à l'intérieur de la forêt de cèdres et pruches, au nord de la Colombie Britannique. Les mesures anatomiques et morphologiques localisées à six positions différentes à l'intérieur de la couronne ont été ...

High quality, off season pea farming in Spithi HimalayaReport of the Task Force 1The IHR States must embark on a development path that does not disturb the primary colours of this picture: white, blue, green and brown representing the precious natural resources of the IHR, namely the snow and water, forest, and land. Report of the Task ForceTo look into problems of hill states and hill areas and to suggest ways to ensure that these states and areas do not suffer in any way because of their peculiarities