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This study critically investigates the escalating incidence of forest fires within the Corbett Landscape of Uttarakhand, India, with a focused examination of the forest divisions of Nainital, Ramnagar, and Champawat. Employing an integrative methodology that combines GIS-based hotspot analysis, field surveys, and ecological restoration assessments, the research aims to identify the underlying drivers, ecological consequences, and viable mitigation pathways for forest fires in the region. The analysis reveals that the increasing frequency and intensity of fires are intricately linked to the proliferation of flammable invasive species such as Lantana camara, Eupatorium adenophorum, and Pinus roxburghii, compounded by anthropogenic disturbances and shifting climatic regimes.
Participatory rural appraisals and stakeholder interviews underscore a significant deficit in local awareness regarding the protracted ecological degradation instigated by recurrent fires. To inform adaptive management strategies, restoration assessments were conducted across a spectrum of forest conditions—benchmark, degraded, and managed plots. The findings demonstrate that ecologically robust plots, characterized by high species richness, dense canopy structures, and thick leaf litter, exhibit superior regenerative capacity. In contrast, monoculture stands and fire-prone areas reveal marked ecological stress and diminished resilience.
The study argues for a multidimensional, landscape-level mitigation framework that integrates invasive species control, community-centric fire management, and ecological restoration as core components. Such an approach is essential to fostering long-term ecosystem resilience in fire-affected tropical forest landscapes.
Keywords: forest fires, Corbett Landscape, ecological restoration, GIS hotspot analysis, invasive species, community-based management, fire ecology, climate change, forest resilience, Uttarakhand.
