International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Influence of Forest Fire on Floral Diversity of the Degraded Shola Forest Ecosystem

    , , , ,

Author Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Tree Breeding, Forest College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mettupalayam - 641301, TN, INDIA
  • 2 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural College and Research Institute, TN Agri. Uni., Coimbatore, TN, INDIA
  • 3 Dept. of Forest Ecology and Envi., Forest College & Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agri. Uni., Mettupalayam - 641301, Tamil Nadu, INDIA Renuka Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., Volume 3, Issue (1), Pages 49-56, January,10 (2014)

Abstract

Forest Fire is an important component in the development and sustainability of many forest ecosystems. With regard to the environmental aspect, the fire is known to alter the soil physical, chemical and biological properties besides influencing the vegetation pattern. However, information available on the nature and magnitude of changes brought out by forest fire on vegetation under degraded shola forest ecosystem is scanty. Keeping these points in view, the present investigation was carried out in the degraded shola forest ecosystem of the Nilgiris Eastern Slope Range situated in the Nilgiris North Division, Tamil Nadu, India to evaluate the effect of fire on the plant diversity of the area at two different periods (immediately after fire and after the monsoon). The effect of forest fire on the vegetation composition was studied using quadrate method by simple random sampling. The results were analyzed for various vegetational parameters and diversity indices. The study showed that the fire had severely affected the tree components in the vegetation when compared to herbs and shrubs. The research results also revealed that regeneration of herbs and shrubs occurred in the burned area after monsoon. The vegetation was already a degraded shola, regular occurrence of the fire is seriously damaging the vegetational composition enabling the further degradation of the vegetation. A good management plan for fire management will help to regain the vegetation through retrogression.

References

  1. Goldammer J.G., Werner S., Berhold S., Anja A.H. and Hartmut A., Impacts of fire on Dipterocarp forest ecosystem in southeast Asia, In: Proc. 3rd Intern. Symp. Asian Trop. For. Manage., Samarinda (1999)
  2. Khanna L.S., Principles and practices of silviculture. 3rdEdition, Khanna Bandhu, Dehra Dun, 130-134 (1998)
  3. Srivastava R.K., Impact of forest fire on Indian biodiversity, In: Proceeding of XII Silviculture Conference, 143-145 (2006)
  4. Anon, Forest Survey of India Report. Published by the Forest Survey of India, Govt. of India, Dehradun (2001)
  5. Roy P.S., Assessment of forest fires in India through remote sensing. Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation on the scientific dimensions of forest fires, Report of the Project Planning Meeting, COSTED Central Secretariat, Chennai, 51-77 (2000)
  6. Srivastava R.K., Forest fire and its prevention by generating environmental awareness in the rural masses, World Forestry Congress, Turkey (1997)
  7. Srivastava R.K., Forest fire and biotic interference – A great threat to Nilgiri Biosphere, Indian Forester: 667-673 (2002)
  8. Champion H.G. and Seth S.K., A revised survey of forest types in India, Government of India, Publications Branch, New Delhi (1968)
  9. Somasundaram K., Working plan (Part I, II and II) for the Nilgiris North Forest Division, Tamil Nadu Forest Department (2005)
  10. Carter R.N. and Prince S.D., Epidemic models used to explain biogeographical distribution limits, Nature 293,644-645 (1981)
  11. Prince S.D., Data analysis in methods in plant ecology (2ndEd.) (Ed. P.D.Moore and S.B. Chapman), Blackwell, Oxford, 345-375 (1986)
  12. Daniels R.J.R., Jayshree V. and Anuradha G., Biodiversity indexing in agriculture – landscapes to species, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai. FAO / UNDP. PER CENT, 43 (1996)
  13. Smith F.D.M., May R.M., Pellow R., Johnson T.M. and Water K.R., Estimating extinction rate, Nature, 64, 494-496 (1983)
  14. Muller-Dombois S.D. and Ellenberg H., Aims and methods of vegetation ecology, John Wiley and Sons, New York (1975)
  15. Margalef R., Diversidad de especies enlas communicads naturals. Pulbines University Press, Princeton, N.J., 179 (1951)
  16. Simpson E.H., Measurement of diversity, Nature, 163, 688 (1949)
  17. Shannon C.E. and Wiener W., The mathematical theory of communication, University of Illionis Press, USA (1963)
  18. Srivastava R.K., Impact of forest fire on ecotone zone of shola-grassland ecosystem, Ph.D. ThesisForest Research Institute, Deemed University, Dehra Dun (2001)
  19. Calvo L., Santalla S., Marcos E., Valbuena L., Tarrega R. and Luis E., Regeneration after wildfire in communities dominated by Pinus pinaster, an obligate seeder, and in others dominated by Quercus pyrenaica, a typical resprouter, Forest Ecology and management, 184, 209-223 (2003)
  20. Swarupanandan K., Sankaran K.V., Thomas T.P., Surendran T. and Menon A.R.R., Fire related ecosystem dynamics in the moist deciduous forest of Western Ghats, KFRI Research Report No. 223, KFRI, Peechi, 69 (2001)
  21. Thomas T.P., Impact of fire on soil of moist deciduous forest in kerala, India In: proc. Int. Symp. Tropical Forestry Research: Challenges in the New Millennium, Peechi, India, 65-70 (2001)