The satellite imagery of 1991, 1999, 2009 and 2013 has been used to understand the land use / land cover change in Garo hill region of Meghalaya. The result shows that there is substantial change of land use / land cover in the region. The dense forest in the region has declined from 26.73% in the year 1991 to 13.96% in 2013. Similarly the percentage of open forest has decreased from 55.40% in the year 1991 to 48.98% in 2013. On the other hand the agricultural land in the region has increased from 10.65% in the year 1991 to 17.77% in 2013. Built up area has also showed a rising trend from 0.57% in the year 1991 to 3.29% in 2013. The current research has also identified that the traditional agricultural practices in the region has been gradually replaced by the plantation crops. It is also evident from the current research that remote sensing and GIS tools are quite applicable for monitoring and assessment land use / land cover change at landscape level.
Land Use / Land Cover, Deforestation, Remote Sensing, GIS,
[1] Kiran, V.S.S., (2013) “Change detection in land use / land cover using remote sening and GIS techniques: A case study of Mahananda Catchment, West Bengal” International Journal of Research in Management Studies, Vol. 2, No. pp 68-72.
[2] Barman, P., Goswami, D., (2015) “Land use land cover mapping of Dhansiri (South) river basin, Assam using remote sensing and GIS techniques.” International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences, Vol 5, No. 3, pp 474-481.
[3] Chopra, R., Verma, V.K., Sharma, P.K., (1997) “Assessment of natural resources for conservation of Harike wetland (Punjab),India through remote sensing technology.”GIS Development, onlinepublication. www.gisdevelopment.net/aars/acrs/1997/ts7/ts7008 pf.htm.
[4] Nagendra, H., Southworth, J. and Tucker, C., (2003) “Accessibility as a determinant of landscape transformation in western Honduras: Linkingpattern and process”. Landscape Ecology. 2003, Vol. 18, pp 141–158.
[5] Sarma, P.K., Talukdar, B.K., Baruah, J.K., Lahkar, B.P., Hazrika, N., (2008) “A geo-spatial assessment of habitat loss of Asian Elephant in Golaghat district of Assam.” Gajah, Vol. 28, pp 25 – 30.
[6] Prakasam, C, (2010) “Land use and land cover change detection through remote sensing approach: A case study of Kodaikanal taluk, Tamil nadu”. International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences”. Vol. 2, No. 2, pp 150-158.
[7] Nagendra, H., Munroe, D.K., and Southwood, J., (2004) “From pattern to process: landscape fragmentation and the analysis of land use/ land cover change.” Arric.,Ecosyst. Environ., 101, pp 111-115.
[8] Sarma, P.K., Lahkar, B.P., Ghose, S., Rabha, A., Das, J.P., Nath, N.K., Dey, S., Brahma, N., (2008) “Land use / land cover change and future implication analysis in Manas National Park, India using multi temporal satellite data.” Current Science, Vol. 95, No. 2, pp 223 – 227.
[9] Forman, R.T.T., (1995) “Land Mosaics: The Ecology of Landscape and Regions.” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
[10] Kushwaha S.P.S., Azeem,A., Boruah, P., Roy, P.S., Singh,S., Lahan,P. &Bonal, B.S. (1997) “Landmass dynamics and rhino habitat suitability analysis in Kaziranga National Park, Assam.” Technical Report, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun.
[11] Chakrabort, K., Joshi, P.K., Sarma, K.K. (2009) “Land use / land cover dynamics in Umngot watershed of Meghalaya using Geo-spatial tools.” Journal of Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Vol – 37, pp – 99-106.
[12] Yadav, P. K., M. Kapoor, and K. Sarma, (2012). “Impact of Slash-And-Burn Agriculture on Forest Ecosystem in Garo Hills Landscape of Meghalaya, North-East India”. Journal of Biodiversity Management & Forestry, 1(1): 1-6
[13] Sarma, K., (2010), “Shifting cultivation: the sole livelihood of the people of Garo Hills, Meghalaya”. Ecotone, 2(2): 16-19
14] Sarma, K., P. K. Yadav, and R. K. Sarmah, (2013), “Landscape dynamics in relation to slope and elevation in Garo Hills of meghalaya, India using geospatial technology”. Global Journal of Human Social Science,Vol. 13 No,2, pp 16-19.
[15] Yadav, P. K., Sarma, K., Mishra, A. K. (2013), “Geospatial Modeling to Assess Geomorphological Risk for Relentless Shifting Cultivation in Garo Hills of Meghalaya, North East India”. International Journal of Environment, 2 (1): 91-104
[16] Sarma, K. and P. K. Yadav, (2013), “A framework for indigenous community based climate vulnerability and capacity assessment in the Garo Hills, north-east India”. J. Biodivers Manage Forestry, 2:3
[17] Yadav, P. K., K. Sarma, and S. Dookia (2013). “The Review of Biodiversity and Conservation Study in India Using Geospatial Technology”. International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, 2 (1): 1-10
[18] Yadav, P. K., K. Sarma, and R. Kumar, (2013). “A frame work for assessing the impact of urbanization and population pressure on GaroHills landscape of North-east India”. International Journal of Conservation Science, 4 (2): 212-222.
[19] Li Ying, G., Daolong, W., Jianjun, Q., Ligang, W., Yu, L., (2009) “Spatio-temporal patterns of land use change along the Bohai Rim in China during 1985- 2005.” J.Geogr, Sci, Vol. 19, pp 568-576.
[20] Jian, Y., Kui, L., Dayong, Y., Kunrong, Z., (2010) “Research of land use change in the Pearl River Delta.” 2010 second IITA International Conference on Geo-science and Remote Sensing
[Pranjit Kumar Sarma , Khagendra Kumar Nath, Md. E.A Huda, Bankim Baruah, Kiranmay Sarmah, Kalyanjit Sarma, Bibhab Kr. Talukdar (2016) Analysis of Land Use/Land Cover Changes and its Future Implications in Garo Hill Region of Meghalaya: A Geo-Spatial Approach IJIRCST Vol-3 Issue-1 Page No-38-44] (ISSN 2347 - 5552). www.ijircst.org
Pranjit Kumar Sarma
Mangaldai College, Dist. Darrang, Assam - 784 125, India
