Fuels or microclimate? Understanding the drivers of fire feedbacks at savanna-forest boundaries

• Published in: Austral ecology Vol. 37; no. 6; pp. 634 - 643
• Main Authors: HOFFMANN, WILLIAM A., JACONIS, SUSAN Y., MCKINLEY, KRISTEN L., GEIGER, ERIKA L., GOTSCH, SYBIL G., FRANCO, AUGUSTO C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01.09.2012; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Air temperature; Boundaries; C4 grass; Cerrado; fire behaviour; fire intensity; Flammability; Forest & brush fires; Forests; Fuels; Grasslands; Microclimate; positive feedback; Relative humidity; Savannahs; Sensitivity analysis; Terrestrial ecosystems; Wind speed; Brazil

The higher flammability of tropical savanna, compared with forest, plays a critical role in mediating vegetation‐environment feedbacks, alternate stable states, and ultimately, the distribution of these two biomes. Multiple factors contribute to this difference in flammability, including microclimat...