Fire–vegetation feedbacks and alternative states: common mechanisms of temperate forest vulnerability to fire in southern South America and New Zealand

For two regions, we address the following questions:

1. What are the major plant species, physiognomic types and functional types characteristic of pyrophytic versus pyrophobic vegetation types and how do their traits affect flammability, resistance to fire and recovery after fire?

2. What are the roles of herbivory and microclimate in enhancing fire–vegetation feedbacks?

3. Are there similarities in trends of cover type transitions in relation to altered fire regimens?

4. How are climate change, land-use trends and the effects of introduced plants and animals affecting the vulnerability of these ecosystems to fire-induced transitions to alternative stable states?