Long-Term Assessment of Forest Fire Dynamics and Terrain Influences Using Remote Sensing Data in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India
Abhay Pratap Singh
Department of Botany, Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar–470003, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Shailesh Kumar
TEaM Lab, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, SRM University-AP, Amaravati–522240, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Mohammed Latif Khan
Department of Botany, Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar–470003, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Devanand Maurya
B.T. Institute of Excellence, Makronia, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh 470004, India.
Satyam Verma *
Department of Environmental Sciences, Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar–470003, Madhya Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Forest fires are major ecological disturbances influencing vegetation dynamics and ecosystem functioning in tropical dry deciduous forests. The present study assessed the spatial and temporal distribution of forest fires in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS), Central India, using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Multi-temporal Landsat series data, MODIS active fire products and DEM-derived topographic variables were integrated for a 22-year period (2002–2023) to analyse forest fire frequency, hotspot distribution and the influence of topographic factors on recurrent fire occurrence. Forest fire frequency mapping revealed that the very high fire frequency class occupied the largest proportion (47.9%) of the sanctuary area, indicating repeated fire incidences across major parts of the landscape. MODIS fire analysis showed strong annual and seasonal variation, with maximum fire activity recorded during 2021–2022 and peak fire occurrence during February–April. Hotspot analysis identified the central and southeastern regions of the sanctuary as highly fire-prone zones. Topographic analysis indicated that moderate elevations (500–550 m), gentle slopes (0–10°), south-facing aspects and rugged terrain conditions were more vulnerable to recurrent forest fires. These results suggest that topographic influence and vegetation structure jointly regulate fire regimes in RWS. The findings enhance our understanding of long-term fire dynamics and terrain influences in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, providing valuable scientific support for fire risk assessment, monitoring and conservation planning.
Keywords: Forest fire, MODIS, Remote sensing, GIS, Topographic factors, Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, Central India