Monitoring changes in Forest Fire Pattern in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats India, using Remote Sensing and GIS
This study was aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of forest fire between 1999 and 2014 using remote sensing and GIS in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats. Remote Sensing and GIS are very effective tools in detecting active fire, mapping burned area, analyzing fire risk and preparing improved management plans. We used Landsat TM, ETM+, OLI-TIRS and Fire location data for this study. In our study, we found that the annual rate of fire was 3141.46 hectare year-1 (9.78%) with an average number of 22 fire incidences per annum. Maximum area was burned in 2004 (10451 hectares) whereas in 2013, we did not record any fire incidence through Lands at images. Fireoccurred between January and May and utmost incidences in February and March (93.64%). However, 58.86 % of detected fire incidences were in February alone.
