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Impact of Change on the Landscapes of Ecodevelopment Area, Himachal Pradesh
Land use and People of the ares
There were about 123 hamlets in 13 revenue villages with 2465 households and with the population of about 11715 (1991 census). The literacy of the area was 6.8% (based on 1991 census data). The main occupation of these people was agriculture, rearing sheep and goat along with horticulture.
The medicinal plants and mushrooms (Morchella esculanta) extractions were means of secondary income (because of their high price and value) and in some cases even contributed about 70% of the total income. The mushroom was mainly collected from February to May in the lower altitude and about 1,200 people scan the forest floor (Singh & Rawat 1999). Horticulture was becoming more popular in the area and raising orchards of Apple, Plum, Walnut and Cherry etc. The main pressures on the area were due to the collection of herbs, edible mushrooms, grazing of sheep and goat in summer. The herb collectors and grazers visited alpine pastures for collecting the subalpine species - Quercus semecarpifolia, Betula utilis, Rhododendron spp. and the alpine Juniperus spp. and Rhododendron spp. About 20000 sheep and goats were grazing in this area (Mathur, P. K. and Mehra 1999). Local people as well as people came from as far as Anni Tehsil graze their livestock in the park.
Methodlogy
For the Change Detection Analysis the Survey of India (SOI) toposheet 1961, Satellite Imageries of 1993, Census Data of 1981 and 1991 were used.
Significant changes in the population and landuse patterns have occurred for the period between 1961 and 1993 in the EDA in the last four decades. In order to understand the nature and quantum of these changes an overlay analysis of T1-T2 periods (Landuse/landcover maps (T1) from 1961 SOI Sheets and Satellite data (T2) interpretation of 1993) was done In GIS domain using Arc/info software package and can be seen through flow chart as Fig.2. The eleven forest and six non forest types have been delineated. The landuse/landcover map of EDA given in Fig.5.
Results and Discussions
Areal estimation under different landuse/landcover categories are shown in Table 1. Whereas, the population growth statistics for the period 1981, 1991 and projections for the year 2001 are given in Table 2. The maps related to change detection analysis has been given in Fig. 3 to Fig. 6. The total area of EDA was estimated 265.6 km2 of which 26.07 km2 was under man made feature and remaining area was under forest and non-forest classes. The mixed coniferous forest comprised of 73.49 km2. Whereas, the total grasslands were 34.70 km2. Increase in area of man made features (Habitation /Agriculture/Orchard) was estimated 8.48 km2, while 4.31 km2 was found not cultivated as was practiced in 1961. The overall change in area was about 12.79 km2. It was also observed that deterioration of vegetal cover was unidirectional i.e. towards forest. The area had been correlated with population dynamics and fuel and fodder consumption between 1961and 1991 as shown in Table3.
Table 1. Areal Estimation Under Different Landuse/Landcover Categories
| S.No |
Type |
Area in sq.km |
| 1 |
Conifer ( Pinus roxburghii ) |
2.08 |
| 2 |
Mixed conifer |
73.49 |
| 3 |
Conifer and Broad Leaved Mixed |
13.48 |
| 4 |
Broad Leaved |
33.03 |
| 5 |
Broad Leaved and Conifer Mixed |
48.29 |
| 6 |
Riperian |
0.13 |
| 7 |
Slope Grasses |
26.09 |
| 8 |
Grasslands/ Blanks(Temp. sub Alpine & Alpine) |
8.61 |
| 9 |
Secondary Scrub | 16.50 |
| 10 |
Alpine Scrub |
6.72 |
| 11 | Plantation |
0.16 |
| 12 |
Habitation/Agriculture/Orchards |
26.07 |
| 13 |
Exposed Rocks with Slope Grasses | 8.35 |
| 14 |
Alpine Exp. Rocks with Slope Grasses |
0.07 |
| 15. |
River |
1.03 |
| 17. |
Escarpments | 1.34 |
| 18. |
Landslide |
0.07 |
| | Total |
265.6 |
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