Microbial Diversity of Alder Based Jhum Cultivation System in Khonoma Village, Nagaland, India

This study aimed to unravel the microbial diversity & community structure of Alder Based Jhum Cultivation System in Khonoma Village, Nagaland, India. Khonoma, the first Green Village of Asia, is located about 20 km from the state capital of Nagaland. The village is well known for Alnus nepalensis (Himalayan alder)-based shifting cultivation. The Angami tribe of this village has maintained about 100-year-old alder trees in their farmlands for crop cultivation in a sustainable manner without any destruction to the natural biodiversity of the surrounding forest areas. They employ unique jhum cultivation practices that is a cultural heritage of Khonoma village. It is practiced since the origin of the village and confined to only this geographic location.