University of Tasmania, Australia

While there has been substantial discussion of factors that influence the distribution of rainforests within Australia, detailed, quantitative analyses of rainforest distribution are lacking. This study is determining the variables most closely correlated with rainforest distribution to evaluate the processes that allow rainforests to persist in certain areas.

Using detailed vegetation maps, available at a range of scales (e.g. 1:25 000 for Tasmania 1:100 000 for Queensland, 1:<2 500 000 nationally), we will determine which variables are most closely correlated with rainforest distribution, and use this information to evaluate the likely processes that allow rainforests to persist in certain areas. We will examine a range of climatic (e.g. annual rainfall, rainfall seasonality) and topographic variables (slope, aspect, drainage) that are available as GIS layers.