The paper aims to develop a methodology for a survey and study of relationship between forests and forest dwellers using the Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh, India, as an example. The first part describes the research on establishing an integrated information system for such studies by geo-referencing forest cover, forest reserve and census village data. This is followed by a detailed analysis of spatial correlations in the distribution of tribal and non-tribal populations and their occupational patterns as a function of distance from the forest. Dynamic changes in the population during 1961–1991 and the resulting process of deforestation are presented with a view to illustrate the need for livelihoods in the face of increasing population in a subsistence economy. Finally, implications of findings for tribal development are discussed and conclusions drawn with a view to promote a location-specific (bottom up) approach to planning in the tribal regions.