The effects of burning and grazing of dry tropical Indian savanna on the level of available nutrient pools and microbial C, N and P were assessed. 2. The maximum amounts of available nutrients and microbial biomass occurred in the dry period and minimum in the wet period. 3. Burning and grazing increased inorganic N by 54% and 15-49%, respectively and also increased bicarbonate-extractable inorgnaic P by 35% and 27-32%, respectively. 4. Mean annual microbial C varied from 361 to 466. The mean annual microbial C, N and P were positively related to each other. 5. Burning increased microbial C by 18%, microbial N by 26% and microbial P by 35%, and grazing increased microbial C by 15-18%, microbial N by 14-23% and microbial P by 19-29%. ©1991 British Ecological Society. Abstract reproduced by permission.