Forest Resources
FOREST RESOURCES:
The State of Assam; criss-crossed by mountains, valleys and an intricate river system; is located in the eastern most part of India between 24°.07’ N to 28°00’ N Latitude and 89°.42’ E to 96°. 02’ E Longitude and extends over geographical area of 78,438 sq. km. which constitute 2.39% of the country’s total area. In his book Red Rivers and Blue Hills, the eminent scholar Hem Barua wrote, “To many outsiders Assam is no more than a land of mountains and malaria, earthquakes and floods and the Kamakhya Temple. To others it is a green woodland where slothful serpents, insidious tigers, wild elephants and stealthy leopards peep and peer with virulent eyes and claws. Assam to most of the people is mentally a distant horizon like Bolivia or Peru – less known and more fancied”.
The state is famous for its tea gardens and one horned Rhinoceros. Topographically the state can be divided in to three parts viz the Brahmaputra valley, the Surma valley and the mountainous Assam Ranges. The state has subtropical climate with temperature ranging from 5°C to 32°C and mean annual rainfall varying from 1,500 mm to 3,750 mm.
The population of the state is 31.17 million (Census 2011). The rural and urban population accounts for 85.92% and 14.08% respectively. The population density is 397 persons per sq km. The livestock population of the state is 17.23 million (Livestock Census 2007)
Forest Cover of Assam:
Percentage of Forest Cover:
Recorded Forest Area:
The recorded forest area of Assam is 26,832 sq km accounting for 34.21% of its geographical area. According to their legal status, Reserved Forests constitute 66.58% and Unclassed Forests 33.42% of the total forest area.
Protected Areas:
The protected area network of Assam includes 7 National Parks and 18 wildlife sanctuaries covering an area of 0.40 million ha constituting 4.98% of the geographical area. The state has three Tiger Reserves, namely Kaziranga, Manas and Nameri. Kaziranga National Park and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary are in the list of World Heritage sites.
Forest Cover in Different Forest Types
Forest type mapping using satellite data has been undertaken by the Forest Survey of India with reference to Champion and Seth Classification. As per this assessment, the state has 18 forest types belonging to five forest type groups viz Tropical Wet Evergreen, Tropical Semi Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous, Tropical Dry Deciduous and Sub Tropical Pine Forests.
Forest and Tree Cover
The estimated tree cover in the state is 1,564 sq km which is1.99% of geographical area of the state. Forest cover in the state is 27,673 sq km that is 35.28% of the geographical area of the state. Thus the Forest and tree cover in the state is 29,237 sq km which is 37.27% of the geographical area. Source: India State of Forest Report 2011, Forest Survey of India.
Assam Forest Protection Force Act 1986
Assam Forest at a Glance 2011-12
Assam Settlement of Forest Coupes and Mahals by Tender System Rules 1967
Rules Having the Force of Law and Executive Orders Relating to Forests
Rules and Orders in Force in Certain Districts
Forest Regulation 1891
Assam Bamboo Policy
Database:
Reserve Forest of Assam
Forest Report of Assam 2011
Forest Division wise area under Forest in Assam 2007
Forest Division wise area under Forest in Assam 2008
Forest Division wise area under Forest in Assam 2009
Forest Division wise area under Forest in Assam 2010
Forest Division wise area under Forest in Assam 2011
Forest Division wise area under Forest in Assam 2012
Source:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Department of Environment & Forests, Government of Assam
Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Society
Maps of India
bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in