Firescape ecology: how topography determines the contrasting distribution of fire and rain forest in the south-west of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

Rain forest distribution in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is strongly influenced by topography, with these ecosystems predominantly found in valleys and steep south-facing slopes—areas less prone to fire. This study reveals that rain forests occupy topographic 'fire refugia,' where fires are least likely to burn, while highly flammable moorlands dominate flats, ridges, and north-facing slopes. Using geospatial statistics and satellite imagery, researchers mapped large-scale fires (>40,000 ha) to demonstrate how vegetation types interact with topography to shape fire patterns. The findings support a hierarchy of fire frequency (moorland > scrub > wet sclerophyll > rain forest), suggesting that fire-topography interactions play a critical role in maintaining vegetation mosaics in fire-prone landscapes. This insight challenges traditional models by emphasizing the antagonism between fire and rain forest, offering implications for understanding stable vegetation states in similar ecosystems.

Wood, S. W., Murphy, B. P., & Bowman, D. M. J. S. (2011). Firescape ecology: how topography determines the contrasting distribution of fire and rain forest in the south-west of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Journal of Biogeography, 38(9), 1807–1820. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02524.x