Age and growth of a fire prone Tasmanian temperate old-growth forest stand dominated by Eucalyptus regnans, the world's tallest angiosperm.

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dc.contributor.authorWood, SWen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHua, Qen_AU
dc.contributor.authorAllen, KJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBowman, DMJSen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2010-07-23T00:05:45Zen_AU
dc.date.available2010-07-23T00:05:45Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2010-07-15en_AU
dc.date.statistics2010-07-15en_AU
dc.description.abstractForests are key components of the global carbon cycle, with deforestation being an important driver of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Temperate old-growth forests have some of the highest above ground stores of carbon of any forest types on Earth. Unlike tropical forests, the ecology of many temperate forests is dominated by episodic disturbance, such as high intensity fire. An exemplar of a particularly carbon dense temperate forest system adapted to infrequent catastrophic fires is the Eucalyptus regnans forests of south eastern Australia. Knowledge of the growth and longevity of old-growth trees is crucial to understanding the carbon balance and fire regimes of these forest systems. In an old-growth E. regnans stand in the Styx Valley in southern Tasmania we used dendrochronological techniques and radiocarbon dating to determine the age and stem growth of E. regnans and Phyllocladus aspleniifolius, an understorey rainforest conifer. Our analysis revealed that an even-aged cohort of E. regnans and P. aspleniifolius established in 1490–1510AD, apparently after a stand-replacing fire. The stem growth rates of E. regnans in the first 100 years were very rapid compared to the co-occurring P. aspleniifolius. That the longevity of E. regnans is >500 years challenges the suggested 350–450 year timeframe proposed for the widely held model of succession from eucalypt to rainforest. These forests not only have the potential to store vast amounts of carbon, but can also maintain these high carbon densities for a long period of time. Estimates of the capacity of these forests to sequester and store carbon should explicitly consider past harvesting and fire regimes and the potential increases in the risk of fire associated with climate change. © 2010, Elsevier Ltd.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationWood, S. W., Hua, Q., Allen, K. J., & Bowman, D. M. J. S. (2010). Age and growth of a fire prone Tasmanian temperate old-growth forest stand dominated by Eucalyptus regnans, the world's tallest angiosperm. Forest Ecology and Management, 260(4), 438-447. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2010.04.037en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc1961en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0378-1127en_AU
dc.identifier.issue4en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleForest Ecology and Managementen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination438-447en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2010.04.037en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/1861en_AU
dc.identifier.volume260en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectTasmaniaen_AU
dc.subjectEucalyptusesen_AU
dc.subjectFiresen_AU
dc.subjectCarbon 14en_AU
dc.subjectIsotope datingen_AU
dc.subjectTreesen_AU
dc.titleAge and growth of a fire prone Tasmanian temperate old-growth forest stand dominated by Eucalyptus regnans, the world's tallest angiosperm.en_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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