Nagaland’s forest carbon stock at 135.53 million tonnes

Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 30 

The total Carbon stock of forests in the State of Nagaland is 135.53 million tonnes (496.94 million tonnes of CO equivalent). This was informed in the Indian State of Forest Review (ISFR) complied by the Forest Survey of India (FSI). 

The state’s reported carbon stock includes Trees outside Forest (TOF) patch which is more than 1 hectare in area. Nagaland’s 135.53 million tonnes of carbon stock comprises 1.90% of total forest carbon of the country.

Meanwhile, it was informed that in Nagaland, during the period January 1, 2015 to February 5, 2019, no forest land was diverted for non-forestry purposes under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

Based on the interpretation of IRS Resource sat-2 LISS III satellite data of the period from October 2017 to February 2018, the Forest Cover in the State is 12,486.40 sq km which is 75.31 % of the State's geographical area. 

In terms of forest canopy density classes, the State has 1,273.19 sq km under Very Dense Forest (VDF), 4,533.72 sq km under Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) and 6,679.49 sq km under Open Forest (OF). 

The FSI report informed that Forest cover in Nagaland State has decreased by 2.60 sq km as compared to the previous assessment reported in ISFR 2017.

Main reasons for the decrease in forest cover in the State are shifting cultivation and development activities.

Through a nation-wide study, the FSI also conducted estimation of dependence of people living in the villages close to forest for fuel wood, fodder, small timber and bamboo in quantified terms for each State & UT of the country. 

The estimation of dependence of people in forest fringe villages on forests in Nagaland was 2,77,670 tonnes of fuel wood, 4,87,566 tonnes of fodder, 1,088 tonnes of bamboo and 12,225 cubic tones of small timber.  

Nationall, there has been an increase of 5,188 sq kms in the total forest and tree cover of the country as tcompared to the assessment of 2017. Out of this, the increase in the forest cover has been observed as 3,976 sq km and that in tree cover is 1,212 sq km.

Under the current assessment the total carbon stock in countr''s forest is estimated 7,124.6 million tonnes and there an increase of 42.6 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment of 2017.

The top three states showing increase in forest cover are Karnataka (1,025 sq km) followed by Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km) and Kerala (823 sq km).

Mangrove cover has been separately reported in the ISFR 2019 and the total mangrove cover in the country is 4,975 sq km. An increase of 54 sq km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2017. Top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Gujarat (37 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (16 sq km) and Odisha (8 sq km).