The Global Extent and Determinants of Savanna and Forest as Alternative Biome States
Abstract
Savanna and forest are alternative states governed by fire at intermediate rainfall levels.
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Satellite observations suggest a critical threshold at 7 months of dry season length.
“Satellite observations of tree cover distributions across tropical South America suggest a critical threshold at 7 months of dry season length79 (DSL).”
From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [79]
Satellite observations of tree cover distributions across tropical South America suggest a critical threshold between 1,000 and 1,250 mm of annual rainfall.
“Satellite observations of tree cover distributions across tropical South America suggest a critical threshold between 1,000 and 1,250 mm of annual rainfall78,79.”
From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [79]
Fire is unlikely to be unilaterally responsive to climate in a deterministic way.
“These data and several recent papers (42, 43) support our contention that fire is unlikely to be unilaterally responsive to climate in a deterministic way.”
From Defining pyromes and global syndromes of fire regimes (2013) · cites this paper as [42]
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- Authors
- Staver, A. C., Archibald, S., & Levin, S. A.
- Affiliations
- Princeton University (US)
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Staver, A. Carla
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2011-10-14
- Volume
- 334
- Issue
- 6053
- Pages
- 230-232
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2043882198
- Cited by
- 1,353
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 78 · 2025: 75 · 2024: 89 · 2023: 107 · 2022: 108 · 2021: 118 · 2020: 94 · 2019: 121 · 2018: 93 · 2017: 78 · 2016: 114 · 2015: 97 · 2014: 70 · 2013: 71 · 2012: 35
- FWCI
- 48.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Keywords
- forest-savanna transition, alternative stable states, climate seasonality, rainfall, biome distribution, Amazon basin, Congo Basin
- MeSH terms
- Australia, Fires, Geography, Rain, Seasons, Soil, South America, Trees, Tropical Climate, Ecosystem, Africa South of the Sahara
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