Remotely-Sensed Active Fire Data for Protected Area Management: Eight-Year Patterns in the Manas National Park, India |
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Authors: | Chihiro Takahata Rajan Amin Pranjit Sarma Gitanjali Banerjee William Oliver John E Fa |
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Institution: | 1. Conservation Science Group, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY, UK 2. Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK 3. Aaranyak, 50, Samanwoy Path Survey, P.O. Beltola, Guwahati, Assam, 781028, India 4. IUCN/SSC Wild Pigs Specialist Group, 11 Graham House, Birdcage Walk, Newmarket, CB1 0NE, UK 5. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP, UK
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Abstract: | The Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands, which once extended along most of the Himalayan foothills, now only remain in a number
of protected areas. Within these localities, grassland burning is a major issue, but data on frequency and distribution of
fires are limited. Here, we analysed the incidence of active fires, which only occur during the dry season (Nov.–Mar.), within
a significant area of Terai grasslands: the Manas National Park (MNP), India. We obtained locations of 781 fires during the
2000–2008 dry seasons, from the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) that delivers global MODIS hotspot/fire
locations using remote sensing and GIS technologies. Annual number of fires rose significantly from around 20 at the start
of the study period to over 90 after 2002, with most (85%) detected between December and January. Over half of the fires occurred
in tall grasslands, but fire density was highest in wetland and riverine vegetation, dry at the time. Most burning took place
near rivers, roads and the park boundary, suggesting anthropogenic origins. A kernel density map of all recorded fires indicated
three heavily burnt areas in the MNP, all within the tall grasslands. Our study demonstrates, despite some technical caveats
linked to fire detection technology, which is improving, that remote fire data can be a practical tool in understanding fire
concentration and burning temporal patterns in highly vulnerable habitats, useful in guiding management. |
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