Monitoring of bamboo flowering using satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques in Mizoram, India

R. K. Lallianthanga , Robert Lalchhanhima Sailo

Science Vision 12 (4), 143-151 | Published on 31 December 2012 |

Abstract

Mizoram is endowed with bountiful natural resources, of which bamboo is the prominent and most abundant of the forest resources. With about 32% of the total geographical area of the state occupied by bamboo, this valuable and important resource has a peculiar lifecycle where it flowers and dies after every 48 years. Such being the case, bamboo flowering has a huge impact not only on the vegetative composition but also the socio-economic condition of the state. The spatial distribution and progression of the bamboo flowering in Mizoram was monitored and studied for a period of 5 years (2005 to 2009) using satellite remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques, involving applications of vegetative index models. The cumulative progression in flowering pattern shows successive increase in flowering areas which recorded a maximum of 73.83% out of the total bamboo forest, at the end of the study period. The present study also gives a comparative analysis of the district-wise spatial distribution of bamboo flowering that may serve as a useful data for preparation of schemes to mitigate the impacts of bamboo flowering in future.

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