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Over-Exploitation of Forests pp 67–72Cite as

Conclusions

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Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Geography ((BRIEFSGEOGRAPHY))

Abstract

Human populations have transformed ecosystems locally, regionally and globally. In the north east India biodiversity hotspot as well, human populations are slowly transforming the region’s ecosystems. There can be no room for complacency taking the convenient but untenable explanation that other biodiversity hotspots are equally under threat. In many ways north east India represents a scenario wherein the progression and acceleration of the anthropocene has occurred. The region is emblematic of the challenges faced by societies that are barely industrialized and heavily forest sector dependent. Population growth has rendered age old practices like shifting cultivation (jhum) untenable and progressively less ecologically friendly. If the anthropocene is conceptualized as denoting the current interval of time, dominated by human activity then India’s north eastern region fits in very precisely, given its systematic domination of the landscape by humans. High human population density in areas close to protected areas and the biomass requirements of these households is problematic in north east India. Fuelwood, issues of encroachment and illegal logging are all eating into the vitals of the region’s forest resources. Indeed the time is ripe to act to save the rich forest resources of this hotspot from further decimation.

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  1. Department of Geography, Gauhati University, Guwahati, 781014, India

    Anup Saikia

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Saikia, A. (2014). Conclusions. In: Over-Exploitation of Forests. SpringerBriefs in Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01408-1_8

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