Nature of forest fires in Uttarakhand: frequency, size and seasonal patterns in relation to pre-monsoonal environment

Man-made forest fires in the traditionally populated zone (about 800–2000 m altitude) are common in much of the Central Himalaya, and are a major topic of environmental debate. This study based on an analysis of data of the State Forest Department at Uttarakhand on incidence of forest fires shows th...

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Published inCurrent science (Bangalore) Vol. 111; no. 2; pp. 398 - 403
Main Authors Singh, Ripu Daman, Gumber, Surabhi, Tewari, Pankaj, Singh, S. P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Current Science Association 25.07.2016
Subjects
Coniferous forests
Fire control
Forest ecology
Forest fires
Forest litter
Forestry development
Precipitation
Rainfall
RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
State forests
Wildfire seasons
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Summary:Man-made forest fires in the traditionally populated zone (about 800–2000 m altitude) are common in much of the Central Himalaya, and are a major topic of environmental debate. This study based on an analysis of data of the State Forest Department at Uttarakhand on incidence of forest fires shows that these are high-frequency, low-severity surface fires of small size, largely determined by the moisture conditions of the pre-monsoon season (from March to mid-June), and the traditional practices of biomass collection by local people.
ISSN:0011-3891
DOI:10.18520/cs/v111/i2/398-403