Links between native forest and climate in Australia

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Abstract

Human activities have modified our natural environment for thousands of years. In Australia, this influence accelerated from 1788 when the influx of European population led to an extensive modification of natural (native) vegetation for improved cropping, grazing pastures, and expanding human settlements. Like the tropical Sahel, Australian landscape is extremely fragile and responds rapidly to low amplitude radiative perturbations. Australia has a naturally variable climate which is strongly influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO phenomenon has a pronounced impact on surface temperature and regional rainfall patterns. However, the effect of land-cover change (LCC) on Australian climate has been a secondary consideration in climate change studies despite the clearance of over 1.02 million km2 (or ~13%) of the continent. The regional hotspots of land clearing are southeast Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, cleared 1800 to mid-1900s), southwest Western Australia (cleared 1920–1980s) and more recently inland Queensland. This essay attempts to synthesise the research from previous studies that investigated the impact of LCC on Australia’s regional climate. It is reported that the loss of native vegetation has contributed to significant increases in mean surface temperature and decreases in cumulative regional rainfall. As a consequence, there was an increase in the number of dry and hot days, a decrease in daily rainfall intensity, and an increase in the duration of droughts in southeast Australia.

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• Links between native forest and climate in Australia. (deposited 01 Mar 2011 11:49) [Currently Displayed]