3.23.1 Introduction
 
 

Sikkim has a geographic area of 0.71 million ha. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas and lies between lat. 27° 04' and 28° 07' N and long. 88° 00' and 88° 55' E. Its terrain is hilly with wide variation in altitude ranging from 300 m to 8583 m. The Teesta is the main river of the state. Land use pattern of the state is given in Table 3.23.a.
 
 

Average annual rainfall ranges between 210 mm to 2,500 mm. Temperature in lower altitudes varies between 4.5° C to 18.5° C.
 
 

The total population of the state is 0.4 million (1991 census) which is mainly confined to the lower altitudes. The Scheduled Tribes constitutes 22.36% of the population. The live stock population is 0.39 million (1992 livestock census).
 
 
 
 

Table 3.23.a : Land use
 

Land use	Area in ‘ 000 ha	Percentage
Total Geographical area	710
Reporting Area for land utilisation	710	100
Forests	257	36.20
Not available for cultivation	270	38.03
Permanent Pasture & Grazing land	69	9.72
Land under misc. tree crops & groves	5	0.70
Culturable waste land	1	0.14
Fallow land & other than current fallows	9	1.27
Current fallows	4	0.56
Net area Sown	95	13.38

Source : Land use statistics At a Glance 1996-97, Ministry of Agriculture, GOI, 2000
 
 

3.23.2 Forest resources
 
 

The recorded forest area is 265,000 ha constituting 37.34% of the geographic area of the state. Reserved Forests constitutes 85.32%, Protected Forests 10.75% and Unclassed Forests 3.93%. Forests are distributed all over the state. There are three forest types viz. Tropical Moist Deciduous, Himalayan Moist Temperate, and Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests.
 
 

3.23.3 Protected Areas
 
 

One National Park and 5 Wildlife Sanctuaries cover a total area of 0.20 million ha. It constitutes 28.88% of geographic area, which ranks it as the best covered state in respect to percentage of protected area.

3.23.4 Joint Forest Management
 
 

The resolution of Joint Forest Management in the state has been issued in 1998. The total number of Village Forest Protection Committees are 98 and the area covered under the programme is 2,191 ha.
 
 

The JFM programme is extended to Khasmal/Goucharan areas and degraded forest lands. The usufructuary benefit accruing from such management is proposed to be shared between government and individual member by 75% and 25% respectively.
 
 

3.23.5 Forest plantations
 
 

The plan wise details of plantation are given in Table 3.23.b. The species-wise plantation carried out by Forest Department are given in Table 3.23.c.
 
 

Table 3.23.b : Forest plantations by all agencies
 

Period	Area in ‘000 ha
1951-80	3.90
1980-85	14.45
1985-90	30.05
1990-91	4.70
1991-92	6.46
1992-97	41.56
1997-98	11.10
1998-99	7.01
Total	119.23

Source: NAEB, MoEF, 1999
 
 
 
 

Table 3.23.c : Species wise plantations by Forest Department upto 1997
 
 
 

Species	Area in ‘000 ha	Percentage
Cryptomeria japonica	5.5	5.2
Alnus nepalensis	0.5	0.5
Others	98.63	94.3
Total	104.63	100.0

Source: FSI Estimate
 
 

3.23.6 Forest cover
 
 

The forest cover of the state, based on satellite data of November 1998, is 3,118 sq.km, which constitutes 43.94% of the geographic area. Dense forest accounts for 2,363 sq.km. and open forest 755 sq.km. The forest cover of the state is shown in Fig.3.22. There has been a net decrease of 11 sq.km in the forest cover of the state as compared to the previous assessment. The difference between the data periods of the two assessment is about 4 years.
 
 

The change matrix, given in Table 3.23.d, reveals that there has been an overall decrease of 60 sq. km. of dense forest. This is the result of degradation of 49 sq. km. to open forest and 11 sq.km. to non forest. The increase of 49 sq. km. of open forest is on account of conversion of 49 sq.km. of dense forest to open forest.
 
 

Table 3.23.d : Forest cover change matrix

The total number of districts in the state is 4. The extent of dense and open forests and scrub, along with changes compared to 1997 assessment, in respect of all of them is given in Table 3.23.e.
 
 

Table 3.23.e : District-wise forest cover

Note - Assessment of forest cover in VI cycle (1997) was carried out visually on 1:250,000 scale whereas in the VII cycle (1999), it has been done digitally on 1:50,000 scale. The total forest cover on 1:50,000 scale has been assessed as 3,002 sq.km. which comprises of 2,275 sq.km. of dense forest and 727 sq.km. of open forest. Extent of scrub has been assessed as 372 sq.km. For the purpose of comparison with 1997 assessment, the above figures have been transformed to 1:250,000 scale (see section 2.2).
 
 
 
 

The loss of forest area is due to encroachment in east Sikkim whereas improvement is due to regeneration of Shorea robusta in South Sikkim and plantation of Cryptomeria japonica in west Sikkim.