Himalayan chir pine forest responses to altered fire regimes: Research dataset

This dataset supports a study investigating the responses of Himalayan chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests to altered fire regimes, focusing on tree mortality, canopy seed availability, seed germination and post-fire seedling recruitment. The study was conducted in lower and upper Himalayan chir pine forests of Himachal Pradesh, India, to examine how variation in fire frequency and severity influences these ecological responses. Field sampling was conducted across 40 plots representing two forest types (lower and upper Himalayan chir pine forests) and four fire-regime classes: high-frequency high-severity (HFHS), high-frequency low-severity (HFLS), low-frequency high-severity (LFHS) and low-frequency low-severity (LFLS), with five replicate plots per combination. Tree mortality was assessed using individual tree survival status and diameter at breast height (DBH). Canopy seed availability was estimated using measurements of live tree density, cone production, seeds per cone and seed viability. Seed germination was evaluated through germination experiments, while post-fire recruitment was assessed using seedling counts recorded in field subplots.