Impact of Fire on Wildlife Ecology in Two Dry Deciduous forests in South India

Abstract

The effects of wild fires on distribution patterns of large herbivores in Bandipur National Park, and on vegetation regeneration in Mundanthurai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu are discussed Although data are inadequate to show total effects of fires, they do illustrate that animal movement, feeding and aggregational behaviour can be influenced by burning. Annual fires in deciduous forest in Mundanthurai suppress the succession of evergreen species and lead to the continuation of a thorn woodland.