Elephant Corridor loss due to anthropogenic stress – a study of change in forest cover using satellite data in the Sonitpur District, Assam, India

Elephant habitats were mainly found in the dense forest regions which is the tropical evergreen forest in Sonitpur District, Assam. The total area of Sonitpur District is approximately 5204 km2. Satellite imagery from 1990, 2009, and 2017 was investigated. The current research aims to investigate the huge amount of deforestation that occurred from 1990 to 2017 in the Sonitpur district using a temporal satellite imagery system. The visual data interpretation and change matrix analysis using three-period imagery indicated significant corridor loss and deforestation between 1990 and 2017. The study indicates that a massive number of land-use changes would be occurring within the next few years. So, to protect elephants and forests, agricultural land should be converted into natural forests and anthropogenic activities should be stopped in the corridors and buffer areas. Local communities and governments should take various steps to do so and Government should take legal steps against elephant killing. This research focuses on the conservation problems associated with the corridor's decrease over time. The findings also indicated the advanced capabilities of GIS and remote sensing for monitoring and analyzingcorridor status.