Climatic Influence over Vegetation Pattern and Process

doi:10.1017/9781316339701.010

8 - Climatic Influence over Vegetation Pattern and Process

from Part I - Ecological Processes

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 August 2026

Mark K.J. Ooi ,

Tony D. Auld ,

Linda J. Beaumont and

Ross A. Bradstock

Edited by

David A. Keith

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David A. Keith: Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Sydney

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Summary

Climatic influences on vegetation vary in scale from impacts on individual plants, to population- and species-level responses and changes in composition, structure and distribution of vegetation types. Distribution patterns are based on a combination of natural climatic, edaphic, disturbance-driven and biotic factors, all of which can be dramatically affected by climate change. Understanding the impacts of these factors across all levels of biological organisation is a key driver of research questions, both now and for the foreseeable future. In this chapter, we explore the role of climate as a driver of vegetation patterns across Australia and provide an in-depth look at the climatic factors that control many critical plant life cycle and population processes, which in turn influence the distribution of species. We also outline the advances in approaches for modelling future distributions, which need to incorporate climatic niche and life-history responses, as well as account for the “fertilisation effect” of elevated CO2 on growth and the adaptability of plants, in order to robustly predict species and vegetation distribution as the climate changes.

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Type: Chapter
Information: Australian Vegetation , pp. 182 - 206

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316339701.010 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2017

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