Alternative biome states in terrestrial ecosystems
There is growing interest in the application of alternative stable state (ASS) theory to explain major vegetation patterns of the world. Here, we introduce the theory as applied to the puzzle of nonforested (open) biomes growing in climates that are warm and wet enough to support forests (alternative biome states, ABSs). Long thought to be the product of deforestation, diverse lines of evidence indicate that many open ecosystems are ancient. They have also been characterized as ‘early successional’ even where they persist for millennia. ABS is an alternative framework to that of climate determinism and succession for exploring forest/nonforest mosaics. This framework explains not only tropical forest–savanna landscapes, but also other landscape mosaics across the globe.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | artículo biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cell Press
2020-01-06
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| Subjects: | Alternative stable states, forest-savannas, Fire-vegetation feedback, Consumers, Herbivores, Wildfires, Biomes, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/222570 |
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