Leaf litter decomposition and carbon release patterns in five homegarden tree species of Kumaun Himalaya viz. Ficus palmata, Ficus auriculata, Ficus hispida, Grewia optiva and Celtis austalaris were investigated. The study was carried out for 210 days by using litter bag technique. In the current investigation, the duration needed for desertion of the original biomass of diverse leaf litter varied from 150 to 210 days and specifies a varying pattern of decomposition and carbon release among the species. Grewia optiva took the longest time to decompose (210 days) while Ficus hispida decomposed more quickly than rest of the species (150 days). The relative decomposition rate (RDR) was reported highest in Ficus hispida (0.009-0.02 g-1d-1) and lowest in Grewia optiva (0.008-0.004 g-1d-1). Carbon (%) in remaining litter was in the order: Ficus auriculata (24.4 %) >Ficus hispida (24.3%) > Celtis austaralis (19.8%) > Ficus palmata (19.7%) > Grewia optiva (19%). The relationship between percentage weight loss and time elapsed showed the significant negative correlation with carbon release pattern in all the species. Releasing nutrients into the soil through the decomposition of homegarden tree residuals is a crucial ecological function that also regulates the nutrient recycling in homegarden agroforestry practices.

The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of multidimensional (fuzzy) inequalities and marginal changes on the Gini coefficients of various factors. This allows a range of social policies to be specifically targeted to reduce broader inequalities, but these policies are focused primarily on health, education, housing, sanitation, energy and drinking water. It is necessary to target policy areas that are unequally distributed, such as those with access to unevenly distributed drinking water policies. The data are from the Household and Consumption Survey of 6695 households in 2003 and 9259 households in 2011. This paper uses Lerman and Yitzhaki’s method. The results revealed that the main contributors to inequalities over the two periods were health and education. These sources have a potentially significant effect on total inequality. Health increases overall inequalities, but sources such as housing, sanitation and energy reduce them. This article provides resources to disadvantaged and vulnerable target groups. Multiple inequalities are analyzed for different subgroups of households, such as place of residence and the gender of the head of household. Analyzing fuzzy poverty inequalities makes it possible to develop targeted measures to combat poverty and inequality. This study is the first to investigate the sources of Gini’s fuzzy inequality in Chad via data analysis techniques, and in general, it is one of the few studies in Saharan Africa to be interested in this subject. Some development policies in sub-Saharan Africa should therefore focus on different sources (negative effect), sources (positive effect) and the equalization effect.

This study aims to evaluate the influence of population dependency ratio on the economic growth of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, the three members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The study covers the time from 1960 to 2021. It also analyses in detail how population aging and the youth dependency ratio affects the development of certain sectors, including industry, services and agriculture. This study uses panel data to determine the influence of population dependency ratios on economic growth. To estimate this effect, we use the Pooled Mean Group/Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG/ARDL) technique. Based on the results obtained from the ARDL analysis indicate the presence of a long-term relationship among these variables. These discoveries align with prior empirical research conducted by Lee and Shin, Mamun et al., and Rostiana and Rodesbi. Furthermore, the findings suggest that an increase in the old age population dependency ratio positively influences economic growth within these nations. The long-term relationship findings pertaining to the old and young dependency ratio and economic growth corroborate the conclusions of Bawazir et al., who proposed that the old population dependency ratio exerts a favorable impact, while the young population has an adverse effect on economic growth. Originality: This research focused on the population dependency ratio, a pivotal demographic metric that gauges the proportion of individuals relying on support (including children and the elderly) compared to those of working age. This investigation particularly explores the interconnection between the population dependency ratio and sectoral development, an essential aspect given that various sectors make distinct contributions to economic advancement. Examining how population dynamics affect sectoral development yields valuable insights into the overall economic performance of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

The study evaluates to what extent logistics performance and its components impact Vietnam’s bilateral export value. The augmented Gravity model is applied on panel data in the period from 2010 to 2018. Logistics efficiency is measured by Logistic performance index (LPI) and its sub-indices developed by the World Bank. A variety of diagnostic tests and estimation methods are employed to ensure the stability of the results. The main findings confirm that all explanatory variables demonstrate the expected signs, and aggregate logistics performance and its sub-indices have positive impacts on Vietnam’s export flows, with the magnitude of logistics impacts is greater than other factors in the research model. Among LPI components of Vietnam, Ease of arranging shipments index is the most influential factor on exports, followed by Infrastructure, Timeliness, and Quality of logistics services. These export’s effects are also identified by partners’ LPI indicators namely Quality of logistics services, Customs, Infrastructure, and Tracking and tracing.