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Application of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques in monitoring the vegetation patterns in Keibul Lamjao national park, Manipur, India
Arun Kumar and Shashibala Salam
Department of Earth Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal
IRS-1C digital data play an important role in monitoring the vegetation changes in the
Keibul Lamjao National Park which is situated on a floating biomass (Phumdi) within the
southern part of Loktak lake which is hosting the endangered species of Brow Antlered deer.
It is being reduced in its census from the last few decades. Geographically the floating
biomass encompasses an area of about 42 sq. km., which is inaccessible throughout the year.
The thickness of the biomass is from 0.5 to 1.5 metres.
The present studies deal with the generation of a vegetation map and monitoring the
temporal changes (1984-1999) in vegetation to assess the possible reasons for the
deterioration of National Park. The detailed vegetation pattern are delineated in
11 classes of vegetation from luxuriant grown grasses to dry grasses to decipher the
micro level changes in the ecological conditions of the area. The effluents from south
to the lake push the biomass towards north and wind speed in lean season pushes back to
the south and the human interference appear to be main causes besides increased
siltation from surrounding catchment to the lake. There are numerous factors which
are a so responsible for the decrease (presently 32 sq. km.) in the geographical
biomass such as agricultural encroachment and pisciculture practices in the peripheral
areas of the biomass.
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