Articles | Volume 12, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5563-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5563-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Peer-reviewed comment
| 
30 Sep 2015
Peer-reviewed comment |
| 30 Sep 2015
Sharp ecotones spark sharp ideas: comment on "Structural, physiognomic and above-ground biomass variation in savanna–forest transition zones on three continents – how different are co-occurring savanna and forest formations?" by Veenendaal et al. (2015)
Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
B. M. Flores
Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Department of Ecology, Center for Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
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Cited
31 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Vegetation, fire and soil feedbacks of dynamic boundaries between rainforest, savanna and grassland H. MacDermott et al. 10.1111/aec.12415
- Fine-scale characteristics of the boundaries between annual patches and perennial patches in a meadow steppe Y. Cao et al. 10.1007/s10980-019-00805-y
- Repeated fires trap Amazonian blackwater floodplains in an open vegetation state B. Flores et al. 10.1111/1365-2664.12687
- Climate, fire, and anthropogenic disturbance determine the current global distribution of tropical forest and savanna G. Williamson et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad20ac
- Vegetation-rainfall coupling as an indicator of ecosystem state in a heterogeneous landscape M. Cure et al. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111268
- Soil erosion as a resilience drain in disturbed tropical forests B. Flores et al. 10.1007/s11104-019-04097-8
- Fire regimes, fire experiments and alternative stable states in mesic savannas E. Veenendaal et al. 10.1111/nph.17331
- Not only trees: Grasses determine African tropical biome distributions via water limitation and fire D. D'Onofrio et al. 10.1111/geb.12735
- Fire, environmental and anthropogenic controls on pantropical tree cover D. Kelley et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01869-8
- Influence of soil geomorphic factors on vegetation patterns in a model white sands ecosystem complex M. Atwell et al. 10.1016/j.catena.2023.107044
- Beyond bifurcation: using complex models to understand and predict abrupt climate change S. Bathiany et al. 10.1093/climsys/dzw004
- A Changing Number of Alternative States in the Boreal Biome: Reproducibility Risks of Replacing Remote Sensing Products C. Xu et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0143014
- Tree–herb co-existence and community assembly in natural forest-steppe transitions C. Tölgyesi et al. 10.1080/17550874.2018.1544674
- White-Sand Savannas Expand at the Core of the Amazon After Forest Wildfires B. Flores & M. Holmgren 10.1007/s10021-021-00607-x
- Positive Feedbacks to Fire-Driven Deforestation Following Human Colonization of the South Island of New Zealand A. Tepley et al. 10.1007/s10021-016-0008-9
- Tree cover in Central Africa: determinants and sensitivity under contrasted scenarios of global change J. Aleman et al. 10.1038/srep41393
- Floodplains as an Achilles’ heel of Amazonian forest resilience B. Flores et al. 10.1073/pnas.1617988114
- Ecotones as Windows into Organismal-to-Biome Scale Responses across Neotropical Forests P. Ortiz-Colin & C. Hulshof 10.3390/plants13172396
- The distribution and drivers of tree cover in savannas and forests across India T. Gopalakrishna et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01568-4
- Water availability drives gradients of tree diversity, structure and functional traits in the Atlantic–Cerrado–Caatinga transition, Brazil M. Terra et al. 10.1093/jpe/rty017
- Alternative Biome States in Terrestrial Ecosystems J. Pausas & W. Bond 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.11.003
- Many shades of green: the dynamic tropical forest–savannah transition zones I. Oliveras & Y. Malhi 10.1098/rstb.2015.0308
- Are forest‐shrubland mosaics of the Cape Floristic Region an example of alternate stable states? M. Cramer et al. 10.1111/ecog.03860
- Bistability, Spatial Interaction, and the Distribution of Tropical Forests and Savannas A. Staal et al. 10.1007/s10021-016-0011-1
- Forest-sedgeland boundaries are historically stable and resilient to wildfire at Blakes Opening in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Australia D. Bowman et al. 10.1007/s10980-022-01558-x
- Edaphic factors control fire-prone sedgeland and Eucalyptus forest mosaics in southwestern Tasmania D. Bowman et al. 10.1016/j.catena.2024.108114
- Remotely sensed canopy height reveals three pantropical ecosystem states C. Xu et al. 10.1002/ecy.1470
- On the relationship between fire regime and vegetation structure in the tropics E. Veenendaal et al. 10.1111/nph.14940
- Soil or fire: what causes treeless sedgelands in Tasmanian wet forests? D. Bowman & G. Perry 10.1007/s11104-017-3386-7
- Environmental conditions for alternative tree-cover states in high latitudes B. Abis & V. Brovkin 10.5194/bg-14-511-2017
- Dispersal limitation and fire feedbacks maintain mesic savannas in Madagascar N. Goel et al. 10.1002/ecy.3177
31 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Vegetation, fire and soil feedbacks of dynamic boundaries between rainforest, savanna and grassland H. MacDermott et al. 10.1111/aec.12415
- Fine-scale characteristics of the boundaries between annual patches and perennial patches in a meadow steppe Y. Cao et al. 10.1007/s10980-019-00805-y
- Repeated fires trap Amazonian blackwater floodplains in an open vegetation state B. Flores et al. 10.1111/1365-2664.12687
- Climate, fire, and anthropogenic disturbance determine the current global distribution of tropical forest and savanna G. Williamson et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad20ac
- Vegetation-rainfall coupling as an indicator of ecosystem state in a heterogeneous landscape M. Cure et al. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111268
- Soil erosion as a resilience drain in disturbed tropical forests B. Flores et al. 10.1007/s11104-019-04097-8
- Fire regimes, fire experiments and alternative stable states in mesic savannas E. Veenendaal et al. 10.1111/nph.17331
- Not only trees: Grasses determine African tropical biome distributions via water limitation and fire D. D'Onofrio et al. 10.1111/geb.12735
- Fire, environmental and anthropogenic controls on pantropical tree cover D. Kelley et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01869-8
- Influence of soil geomorphic factors on vegetation patterns in a model white sands ecosystem complex M. Atwell et al. 10.1016/j.catena.2023.107044
- Beyond bifurcation: using complex models to understand and predict abrupt climate change S. Bathiany et al. 10.1093/climsys/dzw004
- A Changing Number of Alternative States in the Boreal Biome: Reproducibility Risks of Replacing Remote Sensing Products C. Xu et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0143014
- Tree–herb co-existence and community assembly in natural forest-steppe transitions C. Tölgyesi et al. 10.1080/17550874.2018.1544674
- White-Sand Savannas Expand at the Core of the Amazon After Forest Wildfires B. Flores & M. Holmgren 10.1007/s10021-021-00607-x
- Positive Feedbacks to Fire-Driven Deforestation Following Human Colonization of the South Island of New Zealand A. Tepley et al. 10.1007/s10021-016-0008-9
- Tree cover in Central Africa: determinants and sensitivity under contrasted scenarios of global change J. Aleman et al. 10.1038/srep41393
- Floodplains as an Achilles’ heel of Amazonian forest resilience B. Flores et al. 10.1073/pnas.1617988114
- Ecotones as Windows into Organismal-to-Biome Scale Responses across Neotropical Forests P. Ortiz-Colin & C. Hulshof 10.3390/plants13172396
- The distribution and drivers of tree cover in savannas and forests across India T. Gopalakrishna et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01568-4
- Water availability drives gradients of tree diversity, structure and functional traits in the Atlantic–Cerrado–Caatinga transition, Brazil M. Terra et al. 10.1093/jpe/rty017
- Alternative Biome States in Terrestrial Ecosystems J. Pausas & W. Bond 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.11.003
- Many shades of green: the dynamic tropical forest–savannah transition zones I. Oliveras & Y. Malhi 10.1098/rstb.2015.0308
- Are forest‐shrubland mosaics of the Cape Floristic Region an example of alternate stable states? M. Cramer et al. 10.1111/ecog.03860
- Bistability, Spatial Interaction, and the Distribution of Tropical Forests and Savannas A. Staal et al. 10.1007/s10021-016-0011-1
- Forest-sedgeland boundaries are historically stable and resilient to wildfire at Blakes Opening in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Australia D. Bowman et al. 10.1007/s10980-022-01558-x
- Edaphic factors control fire-prone sedgeland and Eucalyptus forest mosaics in southwestern Tasmania D. Bowman et al. 10.1016/j.catena.2024.108114
- Remotely sensed canopy height reveals three pantropical ecosystem states C. Xu et al. 10.1002/ecy.1470
- On the relationship between fire regime and vegetation structure in the tropics E. Veenendaal et al. 10.1111/nph.14940
- Soil or fire: what causes treeless sedgelands in Tasmanian wet forests? D. Bowman & G. Perry 10.1007/s11104-017-3386-7
- Environmental conditions for alternative tree-cover states in high latitudes B. Abis & V. Brovkin 10.5194/bg-14-511-2017
- Dispersal limitation and fire feedbacks maintain mesic savannas in Madagascar N. Goel et al. 10.1002/ecy.3177
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 13 Dec 2024
Short summary
Remote sensing studies indicate that tropical forest and savanna can be alternative stable states maintained by a feedback between tree cover and fire. Veenendaal et al. (2015) attempted to refute this hypothesis with an extensive field study of the vegetation structure and soil conditions at forest–savanna transition zones. With a re-analysis of their data and a conceptual model, we show that in fact the results agree with the idea of forest–savanna bistability.
Remote sensing studies indicate that tropical forest and savanna can be alternative stable...
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