ESTABLISHMENT OF 2 DRY MONSOON FOREST TREE SPECIES ON A FIRE-PROTECTED MONSOON FOREST-SAVANNA BOUNDARY, COBOURG PENINSULA, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

A numerical classification of presence-absence data of vascular plant species on a transect across a dry monsoon forest-Eucalyptus savanna b oundary at Cobourg Peninsula was used to define savanna, ecotone or mo nsoon forest communities. The boundary was protected from fire. After 4 years no Aglaia rufa seedlings had established in 24 permanent quadr ats (1 X 4 m) in the savanna while three Diospyros maritima seedlings established in these savanna quadrats. The number of established A. ru fa seedlings in 26 ecotone quadrats fell by 50% to one individual, the number of D. maritima seedlings increased by 43% to a total of seven individuals. After 3 months significantly more transplanted D. maritim a seedlings had died in the savanna than the monsoon forest, but survi val of A. rufa was high, and not significantly different, in both comm unities. Seedlings from both species did not have significantly greate r survival in the monsoon forest compared to the savanna, 42 months af ter transplantation.