Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

TRACING OUT OF ELEPHANT CORRIDORS AND LANDSCAPE DYNAMICS OF EASTERN ASSAM USING GEOSPATIAL TOOLS: A CASE STUDY IN TINSUKIA DISTRICT OF ASSAM, INDIA

Pranjit Kumar Sarma, Kiranmay Sarma, Jayanta Kumar Das, Jyoti Prashad Das and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar

Abstract

The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is listed as endangered in the IUCN Red list as the wild population has declined by at least 50% since the 1930s. Massive deforestation, developmental activities, increased human population have destroyed the age-old corridors of elephant in many parts of Southeast Asia including Assam. This 'corridor' plays a vital role in maintaining population viability across a larger landscape. In the present study status of 4 presently utilized elephant corridors of Tinsukia district of Assam have been assessed on temporal scale for the years 2011 and 2020. The land use and land cover study results show that there was substantial increase in areas of settlement, tea gardens and agricultural land on all the corridors that restrict the free movements of the tuskers and caused conflicts in many parts. Out of the four corridors Takuaoni-Kakojan corridor was found to be least affected by these anthropogenic activities. On the Bagapani corridor besides the pressure of human activities, the National Highway 38 and railway traffic was recognized as the killer of multiple numbers of elephants on its track.