Abstract

Assessment of Carbon Stocks in Shifting Cultivation Lands
Track: Forestry
Authors: Kuldeep Pareta

Shifting cultivation is one of the earliest forms of agriculture system and dates back to about 7000 B.C. when man began to change its mode of life from food gatherers and hunters to cultivators. Shifting agriculture involves clearing a patch of forest land, but retaining useful trees and plant varieties, cultivating it for two to three years and then abandoning it for 10-20 years to allow the natural forest to grow back and the soil to regain its fertility. In India, the people of eastern and north-eastern region practice shifting cultivation on hill slopes. Author has identified the areas under shifting cultivation using the IRS-P6-Resourcesat-1-LISS-III satellite imagery and ESRI-ArcGIS-10 Software with Image Classification extension. The total land area under shifting cultivation in Nagaland state is 1917.90 Sq-Kms. Author has divided the areas as area under abandoned Jhum, and area under current Jhum, which is 801.30 Sq-Kms, and 1116.60 Sq-Kms respectively.