Abstract:

A living root bridge is a type of simple suspension bridge formed of living plant roots by tree shaping. They are common in the southern part of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. They are handmade from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees by the Khasi and Jaintia peoples of the mountainous terrain along the southern part of the Shillong Plateau. Most of the bridges grow on steep slopes of subtropical moist broad leaf forest between 50m and 1150m above sea level. As long as the tree from which it is formed remains healthy, the roots in the bridge can naturally grow thick and strengthen.