Forest fires and climate attributes interact in central Himalayas: an overview and assessment

Abstract

Background In Uttarakhand, a state in northern India, forest fire events increased from 922 in 2002 to 41,600 in 2019, influencing forest structure and function. In the literature, it has been reported that, globally, climate change influences the intensity and expansion of forest fire events. However, with regard to Uttarakhand, studies on the relationship between climate and forest fire events were very limited. In this study, a brief review of Uttarakahand state forests, forest fire types, forest biomass carbon stock, and factors influencing forest fires was carried out, followed by assessment of the relationships between forest fires and climate attributes. Results This study indicated that there was a positive and significant correlation between the number of forest fires and temperature (maximum, average, and diurnal range; 0.05 ≥ P ≤ 0.001); whereas, there was a negative and non-significant correlation of forest fire with relative humidity, and a non-significant correlation of forest fire with minimum temperature and wind. The Ångstrom index and Fuel Moisture Index were found to be good indices to indicate the prevalence of favorable climatic conditions for forest fire. The results of the study indicated a vulnerability of forest floor biomass carbon to forest fire. Conclusion Temperature was a regulating factor in altering the forest fire potential in the district. Forest fire caused the loss of carbon sequestered in forest biomass carbon stock. In the future, due to climate change, a greater number of forest fire events may occur and disturb the carbon cycle.

Forest Cover Loss and Forest Fire Monitoring Using GIS And GEE Over Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, India

“…Forests play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity (Kumar et al, 2022;Mina, et al, 2023). However, the increasing rate of forest cover loss has become a major concern globally.…”

Wildfires and carbon budget of certain seasonally dry forests in India

“…Forest is a major hub as reserve of vegetation C pool after the soil compartment. The increasing incidence of forest fire may lead to alteration in C flux, assimilation, storage, and sequestration potential of species and vegetation stands vulnerable to global climate change (Mina et al, 2023). Fire incidence in forests is both positive and negative.…”