Australian Rainforests: Islands of Green in a Land of Fire

by D. M. J. S. Bowman

• ISBN13: 9780521057875
• ISBN10: 0521057876
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Why do Australian rainforests occur as islands within the vast tracts of Eucalyptus? Why is fire a critical ecological factor in every Australian landscape? What were the consequences of the use of fire by the Ice Age colonists? In this original and challenging book, David Bowman critically examines all hypotheses that have been advanced to answer these questions. He demonstrates that fire is the most critical factor in controlling the distribution of rainforest throughout Australia. Furthermore, while Aboriginal people used fire to skillfully manage and preserve habitats, he concludes that they did not significantly influence the evolution of Australia's unique flora and fauna. This volume, the first comprehensive overview of the diverse literature on this topic, solves the puzzle of the archipelago of rainforest habitats in Australia. It is essential reading for all ecologists, foresters, conservation biologists, and others interested in the biogeography and ecology of Australian rainforests.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

What is Australian rainforest

The sclerophyll problem

The edaphic theory I. The control of rainforest by soil phosphorus

The edaphic theory II. Soil types, drainage and fertility

The climate theory I. Water stress

The climate theory II. Light and temperature

The fire theory I. Field evidence

The fire theory II. Fire, nutrient cycling and topography

The fire theory III. Fire frequency, succession and ecological drift

The fire theory IV. Aboriginal landscape-burning

The fire theory V. Aridity and the evolution of flammable forests

Fire management and rainforest conservation

Summary

References

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