Shiny Sharma

My PhD research aims to study the interaction of forest fire, invasive alien species (IAS), and environmental gradients to shape ecosystem dynamics. Fires disturb vegetation structure, reduce native regeneration, and create openings that favor invasive plants such as Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata, which not only recover rapidly but also add to fuel loads, intensifying future fires. This creates a reinforcing cycle where fire promotes invasion and invasion increases fire risk. However, the intensity of these interactions varies with environmental gradients—lower, drier slopes are more fire-prone and invaded, while higher, moister areas often provide resistance. Understanding these linkages is vital for identifying vulnerable zones and designing effective strategies to conserve forests' biodiversity and ecological resilience.