Savannas, forests in a battle of the biomes, Princeton researchers find
October 31, 2011 2:25 p.m. By; Morgan Kelly
Princeton University researchers stabilize climate change, land use, and other human-driven factors that make savannas and forests compete against each other.
The Princeton researchers reported in the Journal Science that savanna wildfires, with climate conditions, keep the distinct border between savannas and forests. Savanna wildfires keep the tree level low, keeping forests from dominating the biome. When the tree cover is high, fires cannot spread as easily, slowing down the savanna's advance into forests.
The researchers suggest that because of this, South America and African forest and savanna could change into a shared encroachment.
The researchers' work provides the first experiment evidence that fire is the main force in maintaing the division between forests and savannas. It can also tell us where the habitats flourish. They used satellite data of fire distributions along with climate and soil data, and satellite data of tree coverage to survey the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, South America, and Australia.
They found that the frequency of fires determines whether savannas or forests will dominate an area more than factors including rainfall, and seasons and soil texture.
Human alterations can disrupt the natural spread of fires in many areas and cause rapid change is biome distribution. Taking this into consideration, the biomes can overtake each other in decades, and it would be very difficult to restore the natural conditions.
The Princeton research could be great in determining the future trajectory of forest cover, and telling us the obstacles to restoring cleared forests.
The Princeton researchers reported in the Journal Science that savanna wildfires, with climate conditions, keep the distinct border between savannas and forests. Savanna wildfires keep the tree level low, keeping forests from dominating the biome. When the tree cover is high, fires cannot spread as easily, slowing down the savanna's advance into forests.
The researchers suggest that because of this, South America and African forest and savanna could change into a shared encroachment.
The researchers' work provides the first experiment evidence that fire is the main force in maintaing the division between forests and savannas. It can also tell us where the habitats flourish. They used satellite data of fire distributions along with climate and soil data, and satellite data of tree coverage to survey the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, South America, and Australia.
They found that the frequency of fires determines whether savannas or forests will dominate an area more than factors including rainfall, and seasons and soil texture.
Human alterations can disrupt the natural spread of fires in many areas and cause rapid change is biome distribution. Taking this into consideration, the biomes can overtake each other in decades, and it would be very difficult to restore the natural conditions.
The Princeton research could be great in determining the future trajectory of forest cover, and telling us the obstacles to restoring cleared forests.