Asian Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology & Environmental Sciences Paper

DEFORESTATION EFFECTS ON SOIL FERTILITY IN SELECTED AREAS OF GOALPARA DISTRICT (ASSAM) AND EAST GARO HILLS DISTRICT (MEGHALAYA), INDIA

M. AHMED AND N.K. DAS

Abstract

In the North Eastern region in India, population explosion, development activities increased demand for fuel wood, shifting cultivation (jhum), which led to large-scale deforestation has been observed in Goalpara district and East Garo Hills district adjacent to Bangladesh. Some of the previous forest areas has been found to be completely cleared giving rise to thriving habitat sites with thick growth of house sites and shifting cultivation area. Work was undertaken with a view to elucidate the effect of such large scale deforestation on various parameters of environment in this North-Eastern part of India. The present work was concerned with some of the physico-chemical and other physical characteristics of the soil. The result showed that the level of pH, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, carbon, zinc, iron, copper as well as soil moisture, water holding capacity and field capacity, T.S.S. were found to be significantly altered.