Ecological implications of forest fire in seasonally dry tropical forests: a systematic review

Globally, fire plays a vital role in shaping ecosystem patterns and processes. Both directly and indirectly, fire regimes influence the structure, composition, distribution of biota, nutrient dynamics, and ecosystem carbon. Despite being vulnerable to fire, SDTF is highly overlooked in terms of scientific fire studies. In the current phase of change in global climate and high anthropogenic dependence on SDTF, it is essential to synthesize current knowledge on the effects of fire on these ecosystems. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review to compile and synthesise the current understanding, which is crucial for identifying the directions for future research. In this study, we reviewed studies focused on fire and fire-mediated changes in biotic and abiotic components of SDTF, across the globe. A total of 85 scientific articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria, following the PRISMA guidelines. Most of the studies were conducted on non-experimental fire set-ups, and fire frequency was the most widely studied fire regime parameter. Our review shows that SDTF is not resistant to any fire regime with recurrent or frequent fires. Plant as well as soil parameters get depleted under recurrent fire scenarios. However, occasional fire has been observed to improve parameters such as regeneration.