Water, land, fire, and forest: Multi-scale determinants of rainforests in the Australian monsoon tropics.

ABSTRACT: The small rainforest fragments found in savanna landscapes are powerful, yet often overlooked, model systems to understand the controls of these contrasting ecosystems. We analyzed the relative effect of climatic variables on rainforest density at a subcontinental level, and employed high-resolution, regional-level analyses to assess the importance of landscape settings and fire activity in determining rainforest density in a frequently burnt Australian savanna landscape. Estimates of rainforest density (ha/km²) across the Northern Territory and Western Australia, derived from preexisting maps, were used to calculate the correlations between rainforest density and climatic variables. A detailed map of the northern Kimberley (Western Australia) rainforests was generated and analy

SUBMITTER: Ondei S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5330914 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature