https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2596-8600
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ABSTRACT
The current study analyzes the tree diversity and regeneration status of species between repeated forest fires and unburned areas of the tropical dry deciduous forest of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Fire frequency maps were prepared with the help of Landsat 5, 7, and 8 satellite images, and the study area was classified into seven fire frequency classes (B1 to B7) and one control class (B0). Five plots were laid in every fire class including the control. A total of 45 tree species belonging to 33 genera and 20 families were recorded during the study period and of these, 44, 26, and 25 species were recorded in the three-growth stages: trees, saplings, and seedlings, respectively. Of the 7873 individuals recorded, 2667, 1243, and 3963 were seedlings, saplings, and trees, respectively. Our results showed that tree species diversity was higher at moderate fire frequencies than controls, but decreased with increasing fire frequency classes. Regeneration of species was significantly different among all fire frequency classes. Certain fire-tolerant species were increasingly dominant with increasing fire frequency classes. With fires left to continue unabated, the dry deciduous forest of the Central Indian region could have lower tree diversity in the future.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department for granting us fieldwork permission to conduct this study at the Panna Tiger Reserve. We are also thankful to all field staff of Panna Tiger Reserve for their great help. MLK acknowledges the financial support provided by the DBT, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India in the form of R&D project (grant number BT/PR12899/NDB/39/506/2015 dt. 20/06/2017). AD acknowledges the support of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute’s Shastri Research Student Fellowship under the supervision of MLK.