Vegetation, fire and soil feedbacks of dynamic boundaries between rainforest, savanna and grassland

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dc.contributor.authorMacDermott, HJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFensham, RJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHua, Qen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBowman, DMJSen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-07-30T02:06:52Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-07-30T02:06:52Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2016-08-23en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-07-19en_AU
dc.description.abstractAt fine spatial scales, savanna-rainforest-grassland boundary dynamics are thought to be mediated by the interplay between fire, vegetation and soil feedbacks. These processes were investigated by quantifying tree species composition, the light environment, quantities and flammability of fuels, bark thickness, and soil conditions across stable and dynamic rainforest boundaries that adjoin grassland and eucalypt savanna in the highlands of the Bunya Mountains, southeast Queensland, Australia. The size class distribution of savanna and rainforest stems was indicative of the encroachment of rainforest species into savanna and grassland. Increasing dominance of rainforest trees corresponds to an increase in woody canopy cover, the dominance of litter fuels (woody debris and leaf), and decline in grass occurrence. There is marked difference in litter and grass fuel flammability and this result is largely an influence of strongly dissimilar fuel bulk densities. Relative bark thickness, a measure of stem fire resistance, was found to be generally greater in savanna species when compared to that of rainforest species, with notable exceptions being the conifers Araucaria bidwillii and Araucaria cunninghamii. A transect study of soil nutrients across one dynamic rainforest – grassland boundary indicated the mass of carbon and nitrogen, but not phosphorus, increased across the successional gradient. Soil carbon turnover time is shortest in stable rainforest, intermediate in dynamic rainforest and longest in grassland highlighting nutrient cycling differentiation. We conclude that the general absence of fire in the Bunya Mountains, due to a divergence from traditional Aboriginal burning practices, has allowed for the encroachment of fire-sensitive rainforest species into the flammable biomes of this landscape. Rainforest invasion is likely to have reduced fire risk via changes to fuel composition and microclimatic conditions, and this feedback will be reinforced by altered nutrient cycling. The mechanics of the feedbacks here identified are discussed in terms of landscape change theory. © Ecological Society of Australiaen_AU
dc.identifier.citationMacDermott, H. J., Fensham, R. J., Hua, Q., & Bowman, D. M. J. S. (2017). Vegetation, fire and soil feedbacks of dynamic boundaries between rainforest, savanna and grassland. Austral Ecology, 42(2), 154-164. doi:10.1111/aec.12415en_AU
dc.identifier.issn1442-9993en_AU
dc.identifier.issue2en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleAustral Ecologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination154-164en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12415en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/11165en_AU
dc.identifier.volume42en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherJohn Wiley & Sons, Incen_AU
dc.subjectPlantsen_AU
dc.subjectFiresen_AU
dc.subjectSoilsen_AU
dc.subjectForestsen_AU
dc.subjectRangelandsen_AU
dc.subjectFeedbacken_AU
dc.subjectEcologyen_AU
dc.titleVegetation, fire and soil feedbacks of dynamic boundaries between rainforest, savanna and grasslanden_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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