LOST WITH FIRE

摘要

In India, Western Ghats is one of the richest cen ters of endemism and a region diverse in faunarnand flora. A number of programs are currently being implemented for conservation of biodiversity and sustainable utilization in this particular hot spot region - mainly inventories and in situ and ex situ conservation. The ecosystem is under severe threat from various natural and anthropogenic pressures. One of the greatest pressures is from forest fires. Forest fires are usually the result of three main factors: a heat source, a fuel that burns, and oxygen to propagate combustion. Ignition sources may be natural or human-caused. Fuel refers to the different components of the vegetation layer, both live and dead materials. The effects of forest fires have in turn created a situation that has resulted in severe climatic conditions leading to a significant loss of biodiversity. In recent years, there has been an increase in forest fires due to land use changes and climate warming.