Analysis of Trends of Mithun Populations with corresponding Trends of Forest Coverage and Climatic Factors in Mithun Rearing Districts of Nagaland

Abstract

National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE), a component of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), attempts better understanding of the coupling between the Himalayan ecosystem and the climate factors and provide inputs for sustainable Himalayan development. As part of this programme, various data on mithun
population status, climatic factors, and area of forest coverage over the years were collected and trends were estimated with a view to check the prevailing situations of these biotic and abiotic factors on mithun population during successive years in three districts of Nagaland (Kohima, Phem and Tuensung) having major mithun breeding tracts. While mithun population was showing increasing trends in Kohima and Phek and decreasing
trend in Tuensung district, none of these trends are statistically significant. At the same time, it is important to note that forest coverage shown overall decreasing trends in all the three districts. On the other hand, trends of annual rainfall and max. temperature were not significant, even if rainfall and max. temperature were having increasing trend. The present assessment is the first and limited study of this kind whereby efforts were made to
find out the trends of mithun population with corresponding forest coverage and climatic factors. While there were no significant trends of mithun population and climatic factors (annual rainfall and max. temperature), overall decreasing trends of forest coverage in the mithun habitats necessitate urgent steps to be taken up to protect forest areas from further
degradation, as well as to carry out the age-old jhooming practices with modern inputs to be more sustainable and environmental-friendly in the North Eastern Hilly region for conservation of mithun habitats.