ABSTRACT
Monitoring together with mapping of natural resources becomes a prerequisite for conservation and development planning. Inaccessibility of Himalayan terrain inhibits intensive field surveys; here Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) serve as tools in exploring such ecologically important areas. Forest plays a vital role in nature by moderating extremes of climatic conditions, preventing soil erosion and regulating the flow of streams. Forests affect the hydrological cycle considerably (Gade, 1996). Precipitation without forests rapidly disappears with surface runoff. In forests, it is retained in the soil and gradually utilised for the growth of trees and crops and for maintaining a steady and sustained flow of water in the streams (Dwivedi, 1997). Interception, infiltration, soil moisture storage, runoff and evapotranspiration are various hydrological param eters influenced by forests (Ives, 1987). Remote sensing technique has emerged as one of the most useful tools to study forest cover.
