region are subjected to degradation and loss due to deforestation, unsustainable
shifting cultivation practices, fragmentation, and degradation which ultimately
impact the biodiversity (Ravindranath et al. 2011). In this article an attempt has
been made to address the geoinformatics application in climate change and biodiversity research in Northeast India, a region distinguished globally for its rich
biodiversity and variable climatic conditions.
2 Review of Literature
The scattered information on biodiversity and climate change of Northeast India
exists in available literature which needs a systematic compilation. The impact of
global warming on biodiversity has emerged as an active area in contemporary
conservation biology research and is extremely important for Northeast India,
where community dependence on forests is very high (Ravindranath et al. 2006).
Earth is facing biodiversity crises with very high rates of biodiversity loss and
biodiversity change (Duraiappah et al. 2005). Conservation of biodiversity is one of
the key issues in terms of global environmental change and its monitoring is
necessity as it is strongly related to human well-being. Roy et al. (2012) used
remote sensing and GIS data for identification, assessment, and monitoring biodiversity and they considered it as better and contemporary tool because it ensures
uniformity in biodiversity data collection. The need to conservation of biodiversity
and natural resources in Northeastern states with special reference to Manipur was
addressed by Singh et al. (2009). Recent State of Forest Reports point to continued
forest losses in Northeast India, including its protected landscapes (FSI 1995, 2005,
2008). Saikia (2009) studied the forest cover changes in Northeast India using
normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and explained the behavior of
NDVI among different land use and land cover changes with reference to rainfall
and temperature.
The use of continuous thematic fraction layers, derived from linear unmixing,
provides a good basis for monitoring land cover changes. However, gradual and
small changes in habitats and their quality are not easily detected from space by
satellite imagery, and therefore, additional information from field surveys is needed
(Mücher 2011). Singh (1989) used Landsat data for detecting the changes in the
forests of Northeastern region of India and considered it as an effective tool for
forest cover mapping. On the other hand, Chakraborty (2009) used moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) to study the change in forest cover of
Barak basin, Northeastern part of India. The climate change vulnerability profiles
for Northeast India were studied by Ravindranath et al. (2011) and they reported
that majority of the districts are subjected to climate-induced vulnerability at present
and in the near future. Another important study was done by Bharali and Khan
(2012) on impact of climate change on biodiversity and its mitigation in the state of
Arunachal Pradesh, which indicates that climate change not only threatens the
110
P. Saikia et al.
shifting cultivation practices, fragmentation, and degradation which ultimately
impact the biodiversity (Ravindranath et al. 2011). In this article an attempt has
been made to address the geoinformatics application in climate change and biodiversity research in Northeast India, a region distinguished globally for its rich
biodiversity and variable climatic conditions.
2 Review of Literature
The scattered information on biodiversity and climate change of Northeast India
exists in available literature which needs a systematic compilation. The impact of
global warming on biodiversity has emerged as an active area in contemporary
conservation biology research and is extremely important for Northeast India,
where community dependence on forests is very high (Ravindranath et al. 2006).
Earth is facing biodiversity crises with very high rates of biodiversity loss and
biodiversity change (Duraiappah et al. 2005). Conservation of biodiversity is one of
the key issues in terms of global environmental change and its monitoring is
necessity as it is strongly related to human well-being. Roy et al. (2012) used
remote sensing and GIS data for identification, assessment, and monitoring biodiversity and they considered it as better and contemporary tool because it ensures
uniformity in biodiversity data collection. The need to conservation of biodiversity
and natural resources in Northeastern states with special reference to Manipur was
addressed by Singh et al. (2009). Recent State of Forest Reports point to continued
forest losses in Northeast India, including its protected landscapes (FSI 1995, 2005,
2008). Saikia (2009) studied the forest cover changes in Northeast India using
normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and explained the behavior of
NDVI among different land use and land cover changes with reference to rainfall
and temperature.
The use of continuous thematic fraction layers, derived from linear unmixing,
provides a good basis for monitoring land cover changes. However, gradual and
small changes in habitats and their quality are not easily detected from space by
satellite imagery, and therefore, additional information from field surveys is needed
(Mücher 2011). Singh (1989) used Landsat data for detecting the changes in the
forests of Northeastern region of India and considered it as an effective tool for
forest cover mapping. On the other hand, Chakraborty (2009) used moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) to study the change in forest cover of
Barak basin, Northeastern part of India. The climate change vulnerability profiles
for Northeast India were studied by Ravindranath et al. (2011) and they reported
that majority of the districts are subjected to climate-induced vulnerability at present
and in the near future. Another important study was done by Bharali and Khan
(2012) on impact of climate change on biodiversity and its mitigation in the state of
Arunachal Pradesh, which indicates that climate change not only threatens the
110
P. Saikia et al.