NE forest and related elosystems under pressure

NEW DELHI, Feb 11 — Remote sensing and geospatial modelling have shown that forest and related ecosystems in North-east India are under severe pressure from biotic and abiotic factors with Sonitpur region in Assam being the most affected, a scientist has said. The images received from satellite remote sensing in conjunction with geospatial modeling showed that large-scale deforestation had taken place in the foothill region of eastern Himalayas, Dr P S Roy from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (NRSA) told the Fifth Map India International Conference here Thursday. “Sonitpur district has been found to be most affected by this large-scale deforestation. Spatial distribution of different forest types from 1994 to 2000 show that forests are undergoing massive reduction with time,” Roy said. The reduction in forests was more during 1999-2000 than during 1994-1999 with over 145 sq km of forest changing to non-forest area in the former while about 86 sq km changing in the later period, he said. Stating that this loss in forest contributed to loss in biodiversity in the region, Roy said that many medicinally important and economically important species must have been lost during the period. The scientist attributed deforestation to phenomenona like jhum cultivation, population pressure, industries and weak government policies. He said that the area needed conservation plans which minimised restrictions on the people of the area and identified buffer zones and multi-use areas where predominantly traditional practices could continue.