Establishment of two 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 foresl-Eucalyptus savanna boundary at Cobourg Peninsula was used to define savanna, ecotone or monsoon forest communities. The boundary was protected from fire. After 4 years no Aglaia rufa seedlings had established in 24 permanent quadrats (1 × 4 m) in the savanna while three Diospyros maritima seedlings established in these savanna quadrats. The number of established A. rufa 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. maritima seedlings had died in the savanna than the monsoon forest, but survival of A. rufa was high, and not significantly different, in both communities. Seedlings from both species did not have significantly greater survival in the monsoon forest compared to the savanna, 42 months after transplantation.