Premium
Mauritius on fire: Tracking historical human impacts on biodiversity loss
Author(s) -
Gosling William D.,
Kruif Jona,
Norder Sietze J.,
de Boer Erik J.,
Hooghiemstra Henry,
Rijsdijk Kenneth F.,
McMichael Crystal N. H.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/btp.12490
Subject(s) - biodiversity , extinction (optical mineralogy) , geography , endemism , fire regime , biodiversity conservation , disturbance (geology) , historical record , ecology , history , biology , ecosystem , paleontology , memoir , art history
Fire was rare on Mauritius prior to human arrival ( AD 1598); subsequently three phases of elevated fire activity occurred: ca 1630–1747, 1787–1833, and 1950–modern. Elevated fire frequency coincided with periods of high human impact evidenced from the historical record, and is linked to the extinction of island endemics.