Australian Rainforests
Islands of Green in a Land of Fire

A critical evaluation of the ecological hypotheses proposed to explain the distribution of Australian rainforests.

D. M. J. S. Bowman (Author)

9780521057875, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 January 2008

360 pages, 149 b/w illus. 47 tables
22.8 x 15.1 x 2 cm, 0.579 kg

Review of the hardback: '… an important book for biogeographers and ecologists, but I suggest that it has also much to offer historians of science.' John Dargavel, Historical Records of Australian Science

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 ice-age colonists use of fire? In this original and challenging book, David Bowman critically examines 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 skilfully manage and preserve habitats, he concludes that they did not significantly influence the evolution of Australia's unique flora and fauna. This book is a comprehensive overview of the diverse literature that attempts to solve 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.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. What is Australian rainforest? 3. The sclerophyll problem
4. The edaphic theory I. The control of rainforest by soil phosphorus
5. The edaphic theory II. Soil types, drainage and fertility
6. The climate theory I. Water stress
7. The climate theory II. Light and temperature
8. The fire theory I. Field evidence
9. The fire theory II. Fire, nutrient cycling and topography
10. The fire theory III. Fire frequency, succession and ecological drift
11. The fire theory IV. Aboriginal landscape-burning
12. The fire theory V. Aridity and the evolution of flammable forests
13. Fire management and rainforest conservation
14. Summary
References.

Subject Areas: Conservation of wildlife & habitats [RNKH]