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The Impact of Droughts and Forest Fires on Tropical Lowland Rain Forest of East Kalimantan

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Fire in the Tropical Biota

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 84))

Abstract

Lowland tropical rain forests have generally been regarded as ecosystems in which natural fire was excluded by fuel characteristics and the prevailing moist environment (Richards 1966; Mutch 1970; Mueller-Dombois 1981). However, recent findings demonstrate that climatic conditions since the late Pleistocene have favored the occurrence of natural and anthropogenic fires in the Amazon Basin and in East Kalimantan (Sanford et al. 1985; Saldarriaga and West 1986; Goldammer and Seibert 1989). It has also been demonstrated that the fuel characteristics, and the influence of drought on the microclimate and flammability of rain forest, may create conditions suitable for the occurrence and spread of long-return interval wildfires in today’s primary rain forests (Uhl and Kauffmann this Vol.). Modern human impact on tropical forest lands is rapidly increasing, causing overall degradation, and conversion of rain forest vegetation to pyrophytic life forms with increased flammability and fire frequency (Mueller-Dombois and Goldammer this Vol.; Goldammer 1991).

Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of the Island of Borneo with four provinces in its center, west, south; and east. Sarawak and Sabah in its northwest and north are states of Malaysia; Brunei is on the northwest coast of Borneo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry, University of Freiburg, 7800, Freiburg, Germany

    J. G. Goldammer

  2. Faculty of Forestry, University of Mulawarman, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, 75001, Indonesia

    B. Seibert

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  1. J. G. Goldammer
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  2. B. Seibert
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  1. Fire Ecology and Fire Management Research Unit Institute of Forest Zoology, University of Freiburg, Bertoldstraße 17, 7800, Freiburg, Germany

    Johann Georg Goldammer

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Goldammer, J.G., Seibert, B. (1990). The Impact of Droughts and Forest Fires on Tropical Lowland Rain Forest of East Kalimantan. In: Goldammer, J.G. (eds) Fire in the Tropical Biota. Ecological Studies, vol 84. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75395-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75395-4_2

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