Ecosystem services and forest fires in India — Context and policy implications from a case study in Andhra Pradesh

Tropical landscapes are often burned by forest dwellers to obtain certain ecosystem services (ES). We analyze the importance of ES derived with the help of fires from a tropical dry forest in Andhra Pradesh, India, and conclude that regular burning of the forest is crucial for local livelihoods. We highlight the importance of “fire-driven ecosystem services (FDES)” through investigating 557 rural households' livelihood spread across 14 villages in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. Results show that regular forest burning procures valuable forest products like fuel wood and fodder grass, mainly serving domestic purposes. We discuss the tradeoffs that would result from an alteration of the existing fire scenario with respect to FDES, the likely impact on local economies, and possible management options. We conclude that the importance of FDES must be taken into consideration while designing forest conservation and management policies. •Some ecosystem services from dry forests in India are not available without fire (“fire-driven ecosystem services”, FDES).•Local livelihoods depend on FDES for domestic purposes.•There is a lower dependency of FDES for commercial purposes.•Local forest dwellers and policy makers do not see the demand for FDES as a cause of wildfires.•The link between wildfires and the supply of ecosystem services must be recognised in policy making.