Forest Ecology and Management
The effects of fire and grazing on forest regeneration in community-managed lands.
Investigator: Bharath Sundaram and Ankila Hiremath
Location: Sadhu Konda reserve forest, Andhra Pradesh
Funded by: Foundation for Ecological Security
Duration: 2004-2005
Sadhukonda reserve forest is a 64 km2 patch of dry deciduous-scrub forest in
Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. Sadhukonda is an important catchment area for
the seasonal Papagni river, in addition to being an important source of fodder and
fuelwood for a large number of villages located around Sadhukonda. Almost the entire
area is affected (to varying extents) by annual dry season fires. Interventions by
the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) in, conjunction with local people,
have helped minimise the extent of fire in recent years, and areas that have been
protected from fire over the past 4 years are noticeably different from
surrounding areas—they have visibly greater standing biomass, both in the form
of herbs and grasses and in the form of trees that have re-grown from existing
root stock. However, a preliminary study of tree populations by FES in 2002 showed
very few individuals in the regenerating size classes, which is cause for worry.
We are investigating the effects of human-caused fires and livestock grazing, the
two main causes of disturbances in the area, which may be responsible for this
regeneration bottleneck.
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