TY - JOUR
T1 - Savanna vegetation-fire-climate relationships differ among continents
AU - Lehmann, C.E.R.
AU - Anderson, T.M.
AU - Sankaran, M.
AU - Higgins, S.I.
AU - Archibald, S.
AU - Hoffmann, W.A.
AU - Hanan, N.P.
AU - Williams, R.J.
AU - Fensham, R.J.
AU - Felfili, J.
AU - Hutley, L.B.
AU - Ratnam, J.
AU - San Jose, J.
AU - Montes, R.
AU - Franklin, D.
AU - Russell-Smith, J.
AU - Ryan, C.M.
AU - Durigan, G.
AU - Hiernaux, P.
AU - Haidar, R.
AU - Bowman, D.M.J.S.
AU - Bond, W.J.
PY - 2014/1/31
Y1 - 2014/1/31
N2 - Ecologists 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.
AB - Ecologists 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.
U2 - 10.1126/science.1247355
DO - 10.1126/science.1247355
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84893026245
VL - 343
SP - 548
EP - 552
JO - Science
JF - Science
SN - 0036-8075
IS - 6170
ER -
