Fire, Food, Knowledge: Linking Changing Fire Regimes to Wild Edible Plant Diversity and Cultural Resilience in South India
Tracks
Tully 1
| Monday, July 27, 2026 |
| 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM |
Speaker
Smrity Ramavarapu
Doctoral Candidate
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Fire, Food, Knowledge: Linking Changing Fire Regimes to Wild Edible Plant Diversity and Cultural Resilience in South India
ISE Congress 2026 Abstract
Fire is both an ecological force and a cultural companion in human history. In the dry deciduous forests of southern India, traditional low-intensity burns historically maintained biodiversity, regulated invasive species, and sustained wild edible plants (WEPs) vital to food security and cultural identity among Indigenous Soliga and Bedagampana communities. However, colonial and postcolonial conservation policies have criminalized these practices, altering both ecosystem processes and socio-cultural dynamics.
This study investigates how shifting fire regimes influence WEP diversity and local livelihoods in the Malai Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Using Landsat-derived burn severity indices (dNBR) and community fire histories, 46 forest plots were categorized as high-intensity, low-intensity, or unburned. We measured WEP species richness and abundance and complemented ecological data with 63 interviews and six focus group discussions to explore community perceptions of changing fire regimes, forest access, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK).
We documented 45 WEP species, many central to nutrition, medicine, and ritual life. WEP abundance and richness were significantly lower in high-intensity fire plots compared to low-intensity and unburned areas. Low-intensity fires supported greater diversity of culturally and economically important species such as Phyllanthus emblica and Dioscorea spp. In contrast, fire suppression fostered Lantana camara invasion, reduced forest accessibility, and disrupted collective foraging and knowledge transmission. Community narratives and causal-loop analyses revealed reinforcing cycles linking fire suppression, invasive proliferation, livelihood shifts, and cultural erosion—particularly affecting women’s roles as primary foragers and knowledge keepers.
Our findings suggest that reinstating community-led, low-intensity fire management could restore WEP diversity, curb invasive species, and revitalize cultural resilience. Recognizing fire as both an ecological and cultural process offers a pathway toward more just and adaptive conservation in India’s dry forests.
This study investigates how shifting fire regimes influence WEP diversity and local livelihoods in the Malai Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Using Landsat-derived burn severity indices (dNBR) and community fire histories, 46 forest plots were categorized as high-intensity, low-intensity, or unburned. We measured WEP species richness and abundance and complemented ecological data with 63 interviews and six focus group discussions to explore community perceptions of changing fire regimes, forest access, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK).
We documented 45 WEP species, many central to nutrition, medicine, and ritual life. WEP abundance and richness were significantly lower in high-intensity fire plots compared to low-intensity and unburned areas. Low-intensity fires supported greater diversity of culturally and economically important species such as Phyllanthus emblica and Dioscorea spp. In contrast, fire suppression fostered Lantana camara invasion, reduced forest accessibility, and disrupted collective foraging and knowledge transmission. Community narratives and causal-loop analyses revealed reinforcing cycles linking fire suppression, invasive proliferation, livelihood shifts, and cultural erosion—particularly affecting women’s roles as primary foragers and knowledge keepers.
Our findings suggest that reinstating community-led, low-intensity fire management could restore WEP diversity, curb invasive species, and revitalize cultural resilience. Recognizing fire as both an ecological and cultural process offers a pathway toward more just and adaptive conservation in India’s dry forests.
Biography
Smrity is a PhD candidate at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa whose research explores the intersections of fire ecology, ethnobotany, and conservation ethics. Her work examines how changing fire regimes affect wild edible plant diversity and cultural resilience among Indigenous communities in India’s dry forests.
