About:
- Researchers from the University of Hyderabad studied historical maps and satellite images from 1920 to 2015 to understand the changes in land use and land cover.
- Forest cover has reduced from 43.4% of the total geographical area in 1920 to 27.5% in 2015.
- Over the years, about 8% of forest area was converted into agricultural fields, while about 4% converted into scrub or grassland.
- The number of patches of land had increased indicating fragmentation. In 1920 there were about 1,379 patches which increased to 9,457 in 2015.
- Habitat reduction mainly occurred in the districts of Gajapati (Odisha), Mahbubnagar (Telangana), and also in Nallamalai and Kolli hill ranges.
- Reasons:
- While agriculture was the main reason for deforestation during the early years, post 1975, mining and construction of dams, roads were the main reasons.
- Another reason is that the Eastern Ghats are often ignored as the stakeholders are often interested only in the Western Ghats and Himalayan studies.
Significance of Eastern Ghats:
- Eastern Ghats are ecologically important as they play an important role in the monsoon break of both North-East and South-West Monsoon.
- There are also many tribal communities in this region.
