Challenges and Remedies to Biodiversity in Singhason Landscape

Abstract

The Singhason hill range in Assam is a cultural landscape with rich biodiversity and implications for conservation of biodiversity. In recent years, the hill range has been under pressure particularly from human interference that poses considerable threats to biodiversity and the landscape. There is no previous study on environment of Singhason hills due to which biodiversity status, agricultural practices and other related aspects of the hill are unknown. In the present paper, drivers of environmental deterioration in Singhason landscape and opportunities for its conservation are discussed. Data collection included interview and participant observations; informant responses on drivers of environmental deterioration have been presented as Relative Frequency. Over-harvesting is the most potent driver with RF score of 91.7% followed by mining of lime stone and coal (83.3%), monoculture with rubber and teak (35.4%) and shifting cultivation (12.5%). Overexploitation is the major cause of degradation of agar-wood, cinnamon, black dammar, rattans and bamboo resources. Agroforestry with local plants such as black dammar, cinnamon, broom grass, orange, pineapple and pear hold promises for food production, food security, nutrition, health and socio-cultural benef its.