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Shifting Cultivation and Conservation of Biological Diversity in Tripura, Northeast India

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Abstract

Shifting cultivation (jhooming) has been identified as one of the main human impacts influencing biodiversity in Tripura, Northeast India. Over the last few years a new class of shifting cultivators has emerged that has adopted non-traditional forms of jhooming, which have been responsible for the loss of biological diversity in the state. This paper describes the successes achieved by the state government in providing the jhumias (tribes practicing jhooming) with various non-jhooming options. Recommendations include the need for short and long term control measures, improvement of existing jhooming methods, and integration of traditional knowledge with new practices.

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Author notes

  1. A. K. Gupta (Conservator of Forests)

    Present address: Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, 248001, U.P., India

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  1. Wildlife Research Group, Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK

    A. K. Gupta (Conservator of Forests)

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Gupta, A.K. Shifting Cultivation and Conservation of Biological Diversity in Tripura, Northeast India. Human Ecology 28, 605–629 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026491831856

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