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Savanna vegetation-fire-climate relationships differ among continents
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 07:54 authored by Lehmann, CER, Anderson, TM, Sankaran, M, Higgins, SI, Archibald, S, Hoffman, WA, Hanan, NP, Williams, RJ, Fensham, RJ, Felfili, J, Hutley, LB, Ratnam, J, San Jose, J, Montes, R, Franklin, D, Russell-Smith, J, Ryan, CM, Durigan, G, Hiernaux, P, Haidar, R, David BowmanDavid Bowman, Bond, WJEcologists have long sought to understand the factors controlling the structure of savanna vegetation. Using data from 2154 sites in savannas across Africa, Australia, and South America, we found that increasing moisture availability drives increases in fire and tree basal area, whereas fire reduces tree basal area. However, among continents, the magnitude of these effects varied substantially, so that a single model cannot adequately represent savanna woody biomass across these regions. Historical and environmental differences drive the regional variation in the functional relationships between woody vegetation, fire, and climate. These same differences will determine the regional responses of vegetation to future climates, with implications for global carbon stocks.
History
Publication title
ScienceVolume
343Issue
6170Pagination
548-552ISSN
0036-8075Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Amer Assoc Advancement SciencePlace of publication
1200 New York Ave, Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20005Rights statement
Copyright 2014 by the American Associatoin for the Advancemnet of ScienceRepository Status
- Restricted