IFFN Recent Publications: Australian Rainforests – Islands of Green in a Land of Fire (IFFN No. 22 – April 2000)
Australian Rainforests – Islands of Green in a Land of Fire
(IFFN No. 22 – April 2000, p. 109)
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 all 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 the first 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.
Bowman, D.M.J.S. 2000. Australian rainforests – Islands of green in a land of fire. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK, 345 p. (ISBN 0 521 46568 0)
