Vegetation in Dima Hasao

Dima Hasao district, formerly known as North Cachar Hills, is situated

in the southern part of Assam,India, with an area of 4890 square
kilometre. It is the third largest district in Assam. The main group of
people in the district are Dimasa, Hmars, Zeme Nagas, Biates, Kharbi,
Hrangkhol, Sakacheps (Khelmas), Jasens and Thados (New Kukis),
Vaiphas and Jaintia (Pnass), Nepalis,Bengalis, Manipuris and Khasi,
etc. Its headquarter is Halflong and it is the only hill station in Assam.
About 168 species of wild edible plants and fungi are found in local
makeshiht markets and grouped into Fungi,Pteridophytes,
Gymnosperms,Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. Out of 168 species
of plants and fungi, 55 species are used as leaf vegetables, fruits and
seeds of 61 species are used either fresh or cooked, tubers of 19
species are eaten boiled, 18 species are used as spices and
condiments, things species of wild edible mushrooms, and five species
are used as masticators and fumigators. The 165 species belongs to
122 genera 74 families.

As the district comprises of variety geographical features like

agricultural plains, shallow wetlands, hilly terrains with gentle slopes
and valleys in between the hillocks, the area comprised of Reserve
Forest and unclassed forests. Depending on the altitude Hand wearing
vegetation pattern from area to area the vegetation of the district can
be grouped into
1 tropical moist and dry deciduous vegetation,
2. Grassland,
3. Swams and wetland,
4. Waste land and cultivated plants
Tropical moist and dry deciduous vegetation
The major part of the drier Plains of the district belongs to topical
moist and dry deciduous vegetation. The most deciduous forest is
dominated by many deciduous trees. Shorea robusta is the
dominant species in sal tract which prominent Associates like Cassia
fistula, Schima wallichii etc. Where is in the middle canopy it is
occupied why some rocks and tall herbaceous plants. The dominant of
canopy trees are Albizia procera, Bombax Ciba, Syzygium
cumini etc. It is not very dense and continuous in the middle canopy.
The dominant plants in this canopy are Dellinia Indica, ficus
glomeruta,F. racemosa, etc. And tall rhizomatous herbs
Alpinia nigra and Costus speciosus, etc. The dry deciduous
vegetation is represented by Moringa olifera, Terminalia chebula,
Melia Azedarach, etc. Background horror in the area without sal are
usually covered by Ageratum conyzoidus, Solanum nigrum, Syndrella
nudiflora, clerodendrum infortunatum etc. including the
terrestrial terms like diplazium esculentum,
Pternis,Dryopterins, Adinatum, etc.

Grassland
The grassland occupies a numerous growth of various number of
Poaceae and Cryperacea in of the flat plateau and drier hillock
parts of the district. The common species found in this type of
vegetation including shrubs or herbaceous plants are cynodon
decatylon, cyperus, compressus, saccharum spontaneum,
Arundinella benghalensis, arundo clonax imperata
cylindrica, ageratum conyzoides, Colacasia esculenta,
Solanum torvum, Veronica cineria, Diplazium esculenta
etc.

Swamps and Wetlands

A number of low laying marshy areas,lake and depression containing
water, stagnant water and beels scattering throughout the area
forms, the swamp vegetation, occupying only a sizable portion of the
total area. Some dominant aquatic angiosperm species are
Eichhornia crassipes, Trapa natans, Typha
angustifolia, Monochoria hastata, etc. Some common
species of swamps and vegetation are Alpinia nigra, Arundo
domax, Saccharum sponteneous, Marsilea minuta,
Salvinia cuculluta etc. The wetlands includes rivers, streams,
lakes, marches etc. and a number of water body is locally known as
beel. The most common species includes in the vegetation are
Trapa natans, Hydrilla verticillata, Nymphaea
nouchili etc.

Wasteland and cultivated plants

The agricultural practices done by the people of district is mainly jhum
cultivation or shifting cultivation in addition to paddy fields. It is done
in dry hilly land in the plain terrain areas depending on rainfall which
is also irregular. The process of jhum cultivation is practised in 17,293
hectares of the district. Jhum cultivation in agricultural system in
which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned and
allowed to revert to their natural vegetation while the cultivators
move on to another plot. This process of cultivation destroy the
forests.
The area to be cultivated is selected and the trees are usually felled
during the mid-march. After the felled trees dry, these are burnt on
windless night using a technique that the ring of fire comes from the
circumference of the area to the middle and the threat of fire is
observed ('Ha Saoba' in Dimasa). After the rainfall occurs, the rice
grains are sprinkled on tilted soil. Apart from paddy, maize, mustard,
lentils, beans, ladiesfinger etc. are also grown.
During winter season, the people of the district also cultivate
potatoes, cauliflowers, cabbage, spinach, coriander, radish, etc.