In the Himalayan states of India, with increasing population and activities, large areas of forested land are being converted into other land-use features. There is a definite cause and effect relationship between changing practice for development and changes in land use. So, an estimation of land use dynamics and a futuristic trend pattern is essential. A combination of geospatial and statistical techniques were applied to assess the present and future land use/land cover scenario of Gangtok, the subHimalayan capital of Sikkim.

The Eastern Himalayan region has been proposed as another National Agricultural Biodiversity Heritage Site, based on six indices. The region is the richest in species diversity among the northeastern states of India. It is the center of diversity for several widely distributed plant taxa and a crucible for speciation encompassing several primitive familities.

Meghalaya, a small state in the North Eastern region of India, is inhabited by different indigenous communities, mainly of Mongoloid origin. Of the approximately 2.3 million population, about 85 percent live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihood.