Interactive effects of grass removal and fire exclusion on ecosystem services
Saneesh Soman1, Anjaneyulu Paradesi2, Anil Kumar Midigesi2, Himani Sharma3, Ravi Prasad Boyina2, Emma Ladouceur1, Tiffany Knight1
1 SIE, German centre for integrative biodiversity research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
2 SK University, Anatapur, India
3 Foundation for ecological security, Anand, India
2 SK University, Anatapur, India
3 Foundation for ecological security, Anand, India
P 2.23 in Poster Session Friday (14:45-15:30)
Human activities in tropical mesic savannas (TMS) have resulted in plant communities that are heavily dominated by fire-tolerant grass species that offer fewer ecosystem services. With the help of three different management treatments, we found that both native dominant unpalatable grass removal and management of fire is necessary to significantly increase palatable herbaceous plant biomass and species diversity. Our study from TMS in India is in line with research from other mesic savannas showing that fire management alone is not sufficient to manage TMS to a historical state.