Mega village is 40 km from Along district headquarters on the Along-Mechuka road. Moyo is 25 km from Mega village and Dipu is 18 km from Molo. The Siyom River joins these villages and Molo village is situated at the conjuncture of the Siyom and Sike rivers.

Topographically, this area is largely hilly and rugged, with some parts of the undulating mountainous terrain having a steep drop to the river. The community-protected forests are dense primary forests largely comprising sub-tropical evergreen forest species, with the presence of some components of tropical forest. Some of the cane species endemic to this general region and found in these forests include Calamus arunachalensis and Calamus khasiana. Some of the dominant floral species found in these forests are Actinodaphne obovata, dhup, dhale katus, bastard cedar, dalchini, thanet, mewa or mauwa, khewanua, Lindera sp., kusavithagari, Phoebe sp., ar kanla, East Indian almond, Vitex sp., rasamala, Cinnamomum spp., oak spp., hairy mountain fig, orchid, avocado. Bamboo and cane species found here include rawthing or giant bamboo, Calamus arunachalensis, Calamus flagellum, Calamus inermis, takhe-tikhe, phulrua or red bamboo, and chal.

Some common species of mammals found here include barking deer, civet, Assamese macaque, tiger, leopard, jungle cat, fishing cat, common mongoose, smooth otter, yellow-throated martin, tree shrew, and hoary-bellied Himalayan squirrel. Avifauna species seen in this area include Kalij pheasant, rufous-necked hornbill, pompadour green pigeon, pin-tailed green pigeon, common snipe, common sandpiper, white-rumped vulture, crested serpent eagle, harrier, sparrow hawk, common kestrel, and greater racket-tailed drongo. The Siang River Valley in Arunachal Pradesh is also one of the two important corridors of Indian migratory raptors.

The Adi Gallongs are animists and worship different elements of nature. In Adi society, the tiger is considered to be an elder brother and killing a tiger is considered the biggest sin. Killing of a tiger either by mistake or even in self-defence attracts very serious punishment in the form of a year-long period of penance during which the person has to live in isolation, cook his own food and is not allowed to join the community in various festivals and rituals including hunts. 

Violations are negligible, as people fear the wrath of the supernatural elements. Many taboos are attached to felling of trees and killing of certain animals in forests, which are associated with death in the family. Such taboos prevent local people from violating the socially accepted norms with respect to these forests.

No specific institution is involved in the protection of these forests. The traditional village councils deal with violation of the regulations related to conservation. Violations are negligible, as people fear the wrath of the supernatural elements.

There are many taboos such as those for killing tigers and felling trees. Regulatory rules are not restricted only to the forests but also extend to the local rivers and streams. Fishing in the nearby rivers and streams is a regular practice and more of a sport and mode of entertainment for the unemployed youth and old men, though it does add to the food intake and nutritional balance. Blasting and explosives are rarely used. People have rights over different stretches of the river. Some parts of the river are community-owned, while others have family or clan ownership. Ownership over the river can be sold within the clan, mainly for fishing purposes. Anyone overexploiting the fish resource by use of explosives is punished by the village council (kebangs). Only traditional fishing equipment is allowed for fishing.

The forests protected by these villages are legally categorised as Unclassed State Forests (USFs), under the Assam Forest Regulation Act, 1891, applicable to the state of Arunachal Pradesh. These stretches of forests have always belonged to the people and the management of these resources has been vested with the Adi Gallongs, the local tribe. USFs are not officially declared; but all forests that do not belong to any of the categories1 of Reserved, Anchal, Village Forest or Sanctuaries and National Parks are considered as USF in law. Large tracts of forests in the state of Arunachal fall under the category of USFs, and are used and managed by the local communities.

Close to 200 ha of forests in the vicinity of these villages are protected by the local community. These are dense primary forests, largely comprising sub-tropical evergreen forest species with the presence of some components of tropical forest. 

The stretches of secondary forests in the vicinity of the villages are used for NTFP collection, bamboo extraction and periodically for jhum cultivation. These are now in a relatively degraded state and incapable of meeting the domestic and commercial requirements of the locals. If attention is not paid to these forests, people may eventually be forced to use the resources from the protected forests.

Another severe threat to the conservation practices in these villages is the erosion of the value system amongst the younger generation due to modern education. This has resulted in the increase in the commercialisation of the economy that has inflicted a commodity approach to the forest resources.

The Supreme Court of India’s order in 1996 banning timber felling without a working plan, and a subsequent order in February 2000 (in another case) prohibiting collection of NTFP from forest and protected areas leaves the local tribal community with few options for eking out a livelihood from the forest. Earlier local people would sell their timber permits to saw mills or other traders (sometimes a single permit would fetch any where between Rs 600-60,000 depending on the species). This has led to the increase in the rate and extent of extraction of NTFPs such as cane and medicinal plants.