International Research Journal of Education and Technology

Shifting cultivation otherwise called ‘jhum’ in Northeast India may be defined as an agricultural system which is characterized by rotation of fields rather than crops, short period of cropping alternating with long fallow period and clearing by means of slash-and-burn. It involves slashing down of trees and bushes, burning them and then sowing of crops. A wide forest area is pushed out for cultivation leading to loss of forest cover. Problems of leaching, soil erosion and loss of soil fertility takes place rapidly. On the other hand, a high hill offer low returns and restricts alternative forms of cultivation. Difficult terrain encourages isolation of small tribal communities. To such isolated communities, jhum is a way by which their minimum food and other basic material requirements are fulfilled with minimum input. Thus, it is a continuous process in the hills of Northeast India. In this paper, an attempt has been made to assess the amount of forest lost and changes in soil properties due to jhum in Ukhrul district of Manipur. This study is based on field survey carried out of 5 randomly selected villages located at different TD Blocks.

Key Words: Jhum, jhumias, rotation of fields, forest cutting, burning, land degradation.