Australian Rainforests: Islands of Green in a Land of Fire

by D. M. J. S. Bowman

• ISBN13: 9780521465687
• ISBN10: 0521465680
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-28
• 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	ix
Introduction	1	(24)
What is Australian rainforest?	25	(23)
The sclerophyll problem	48	(20)
The edaphic theory I. The control of rainforest by soil phosphorus	68	(16)
The edaphic theory II. Soil types, drainage, and fertility	84	(15)
The climate theory I. Water stress	99	(35)
The climate theory II. Light and temperature	134	(22)
The fire theory I. Field evidence	156	(29)
The fire theory II. Fire, nutrientcycling, and topography	185	(11)
The fire theory III. Fire frequency, succession, and ecological drift	196	(22)
The fire theory IV. Aboriginal landscape burning	218	(32)
The fire theory V. Aridity and the evolution of flammable forests	250	(29)
The fire theory VI. Fire management and rainforest conservation	279	(6)
Summary	285	(4)
References	289	(38)
Index	327