SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AND TREE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION IN THE SAVANNA OF MELVILLE-ISLAND, NORTHERN-TERRITORY

In the savannah of Melville Island, Northern Territory floristic variation relates strongly to both soil moisture regimes at different depths in the profile and chemical edaphic conditions. While some elements of variation in vegetation structure and overstorey species composition have clear edaphic relationships, many common tree species could be found as important overstorey components in a range of edaphic situations. The interaction of stochastic disturbance events and phenological condition may explain this deviation from environmental determinism.