Published by Wiley-Blackwell, this collection of research papers examine the impact Cyclones Larry and Monica have on vegetation, fauna and landscape.
Tropical cyclones affect Northern Australia between November to May every year. As major ecological drivers in the region, the cyclones are major determinants of wind damage and have the ability to override usual ecological factors.
“The two cyclones that occurred in northern Australia during the late summer of 2006 allowed ecologists to capitalize on long-term ecological data and afforded them the opportunity to quantify impact and recovery. In this context, the impacts of the cyclone could be considered neutral, as they yielded both positive and negative impacts.” said author Steve Turton of the JCU/CSIRO Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture, Australian Tropical Forest Institute, James Cook University, Australia.
The paper “The Impact of Tropical Cyclone Larry on Bird Communities in Fragments of the Endangered Rainforest Type 5b” is one of the featured studies that focuses on fauna impacts following Cyclone Larry. According to the study, the mortality rate owing to immediate impact of the storm was insignificant. The greatest stress on bird communities only came during the after passage of the storm when bird species were forced to alter their behaviors as their usual habitat and food sources were damaged.
Lead author, Amanda Freeman says, “Being relatively generalized, Australian rainforest bird species were able to recover comparatively quickly from cyclone-induced food shortages. Within seven months, the bird communities had recovered to pre-cyclone states. This explains why Cyclone Larry, while causing significant structural damage to the rainforest, had relatively mild impact on the bird communities”.
Another paper in this special issue, “Estimates of Tree Canopy Loss as a Result of Cyclone Monica, in the Magela Creek Catchment Northern Australia” describes the impact that the category 2 winds had on tree canopy loss 10 days after the cyclone and compared it with data collected a year later. It finds a significant tree canopy loss of 20% within the first 10 days of the cyclone, with most severe impact along the coast. A year after the cyclone, recovery of canopy across studied catchments varied between 8 to 19%.
In the final section, Peter J. Bellingham provides a commentary “Cyclone Effects on Australian Rain Forests: An Overview” which is an overview of global insights and recent researches from studies of cyclones following Cyclone Larry.
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These papers are published in Vol 33, Issue 4 of Austral Ecology.
The full table of contents for this special issue of Austral Ecology is available online: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120118389/grouphome/home.html
Media wishing to receive a PDF or schedule media interviews with the authors should contact Alina Boey, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications at aboey@wiley.com.sg or phone +65-96565580.
About Austral Ecology
Austral Ecology publishes original papers describing experimental, observational or theoretical studies on terrestrial, marine or freshwater systems, which are considered without taxonomic bias. Special thematic issues are published regularly, including symposia on the ecology of estuaries and soft sediment habitats, freshwater systems and coral reef fish.
About Wiley-Blackwell
Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley’s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://interscience.wiley.com.
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