Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper


Vol.05, Issue 01, 1999

Page Number: 29-33

SATELLITE MONITORING OF SECONDARY SUCCESSION SUB- SEQUENT TO SHIFTING CULTIVATION : A CASE STUDY OF AIZAWL DISTRICT, MIZORAM

R.K. Lallianthanga, D.C. Goswami and C.M. Sarma

Abstract

Shifting cultivation of jhum is the major factor responsible for degradation and transformation of forests in Mizoram. Due to the shifting cultivation practices large tract of land is now covered by secondary forests of different seral stages, leaving few areas under primary forests. This paper examines the application potential of multi-date remote sensing data viz. Landsat TM (FCC) on 1 : 250,000 scale for studying the successional pattern subsequent to shifting cultivation by stratifying different stages of secondary forests or jhum fallows. The stratified map was used for locating different stages of secondary forests and studying the successional pattern.