The role of species composition in the emergence of alternate vegetation states in a temperate rainforest system
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
The role of species composition in the emergence of alternate vegetation states in a temperate rainforest system Michael-Shawn Fletcher . Haidee R. Cadd . Michela Mariani . Tegan L. Hall . Samuel W. Wood
Received: 19 March 2020 / Accepted: 7 September 2020 Ó Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract Context Forest systems are dynamic and can alternate between alternative stable states in response to climate, disturbance and internal abiotic and biotic conditions. Switching between states depends on the crossing of critical thresholds and the establishment of feedbacks that drive (and maintain) changes in ecosystem functioning. The nature of these thresholds and the workings of these feedbacks have been wellresearched, however, the factors that instigate movement toward and across a threshold remain poorly understood. Objectives In this paper, we explore the role of species composition in initiating ecosystem state change in a temperate landscape mosaic of fire-prone and fire-sensitive vegetation systems.
Methods We construct two 12-kyr palaeocecological records from two proximal (230 m apart) sites in Tasmania, Australia, and apply the Alternative Stable States model as a framework to investigate ecosystem feedbacks and resilience threshold dynamics. Results Our results indicate that, in this system, invasion by pyrogenic Eucalyptus species is a key factor in breaking down negative (stabilising) feedbacks that maintain pyrophobic sub-alpine rainforest. Conclusions We conclude that the emergence of an alternative stable pyrogenic state in these relic rainforest systems depends on the extent of pyrophytic species within the system. These findings are critical for understanding resilience in forest ecosystems under future climate and land management changes and are relevant to fire-adapted cool-temperate ecosystems globally.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01110-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. M.-S. Fletcher (&) T. L. Hall School of Geography, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia e-mail: [email protected] T. L. Hall e-mail: [email protected] H. R. Cadd Department of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia e-mail: [email protected]
M. Mariani School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK e-mail: [email protected] S. W. Wood School Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia e-mail: [email protected]
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Landscape Ecol
Keywords Alternative stable states Critical transitions Eucalyptus Rainforest Resilience Tasmania
Introduction Critical transitions, or catastrophic regime shifts between ecosystem states are of profound importance, given that they are often sudden, unpredicted and can substantially alter important ecosystem functions and services (Folke et al. 2004). Critical transitions between alternative stable ecosys
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