Publications

Patasaraiya, MK; Devi, RM; Sinha, B; Bisaria, J; Saran, S; Jaiswal, R (2021). Understanding the Resilience of Sal and Teak Forests to Climate Variability Using NDVI and EVI Time Series. FOREST SCIENCE, 67(2), 192-204.

Abstract
This study attempts to understand the climatic resilience of two forest types of central India-that is, Tectona grandis (Teak) forest of Satpura Tiger Reserve and Shorea robusta (Sal) forest of Kanha Tiger Reserve-using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI) extracted from MODIS, and climate variable data sets at highest spatial and temporal scales. Teak and Sal forests within the core area of the selected tiger reserves represent the least anthropogenic disturbances, and therefore, the observed changes in NDVI and EVI over the past 16 years could be analyzed in the context of climate change. The correlation analysis between climatic variables (minimum temperature, maximum temperature, mean temperature, and total annual rainfall) and forest response indicators (NDVI/EVI) at seasonal and annual scales revealed that Teak and Sal forests are more sensitive to change in past temperature as compared with rainfall. Also, the changes in NDVI and EVI of Sal forest are correlated more to minimum temperature, and that of Teak forest to maximum temperature. The analysis of sapling girth class of Sal and Teak further revealed that Sal as compared with Teak is more affected because of the changing climate variables of the recent past. The findings of the study will help manage forests more efficiently in the context of changing climate. Study Implications: Currently, the silvicultural practice and forest management plan in India lack information on species' response to changing climatic variables. In this context, the study attempted to understand the resilience of two dominant forest types-Shorea robusta (Sal) and Tectona grandis (Teak)-of central India using high spatiotemporal data sets of vegetation indices and climatic data sets for the period between 2000 and 2015. The study was intentionally conducted in the core zones of two protected areas (Kanha Tiger Reserve and Satpura Tiger Reserve) with the known least human disturbances so that the changes in vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI] and enhanced vegetation index [EVI]) of Teak and Sal forests could be attributed to changing climatic variables. The analysis concluded that the Sal and Teak species are more sensitive to change in temperature as compared with rainfall. Additionally, Sal is found to be more sensitive to minimum temperature, and Teak to maximum temperature. Such findings could contribute to developing site-/species-specific limate-resilient silvicultural strategies in the context of climate change.

DOI:
10.1093/forsci/fxaa051

ISSN:
0015-749X