Crisp, Michael D., Burrows, Geoffrey E., Cook, Lyn G., Thornhill, Andrew H., and Bowman, David M.J.S. (2011) Flammable biomes dominated by eucalypts originated at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary. Nature Communications, 2. 193. pp. 1-8.

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

 

190

3

Abstract

Fire is a major modifier of communities, but the evolutionary origins of its prevalent role in shaping current biomes are uncertain. Australia is among the most fire-prone continents, with most of the landmass occupied by the fire-dependent sclerophyll and savanna biomes. In contrast to biomes with similar climates in other continents, Australia has a tree flora dominated by a single genus, Eucalyptus, and related Myrtaceae. A unique mechanism in Myrtaceae for enduring and recovering from fire damage likely resulted in this dominance. Here, we find a conserved phylogenetic relationship between post-fire resprouting (epicormic) anatomy and biome evolution, dating from 60 to 62 Ma, in the earliest Palaeogene. Thus, fire-dependent communities likely existed 50 million years earlier than previously thought. We predict that epicormic resprouting could make eucalypt forests and woodlands an excellent long-term carbon bank for reducing atmospheric CO2 compared with biomes with similar fire regimes in other continents.

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page