Spatial patterns and processes for shifting cultivation landscape in Garo Hills, India.

We analyzed a few spatial patterns and processes of a shifting cultivation landscape in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya state in North East India, where about 85% of land belongs to native community. The landscape comprised 2459 km2 of land with forest cover and shifting cultivation patches over 69% and 7% area of landscape, respectively. The mean patch sizes ± standard deviations for forest cover and shifting cultivation patches were 0.17 ± 1.86 km2 and 0.03 ± 0.04 km2, respectively. The low fragmentation areas between adjacent PAS and RFs were identified as potential wildlife (elephant) habitat corridors and the Core Area (CA) model revealed 591 patches that held 1468 km2 area inside 500m from nearest edge of patches. Landscape with > 40% of forest cover and < 30% of current or abundant jhum cover with <2% annual jhum have been reported to support higher elephant densities in study area.