Search

This article describes the R package CorrToolBox, which is designed for modeling the correlation transitions under specified distributional assumptions within the realm of discretization in the context of the latency and threshold concepts. The practical utility and functionality of the package are demonstrated by several illustrative examples. In addition, the package's feasibility and performance are evaluated via simulation studies using synthetic mixed data with a range of marginal distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate dictates wildfire activity around the world. But East and Southeast Asia are an apparent exception as fire-activity variation there is unrelated to climatic variables. In subtropical China, fire activity decreased by 80% between 2003 and 2020 amid increased fire risks globally. Here, we assessed the fire regime, vegetation structure, fuel flammability and their interactions across subtropical Hubei, China. We show that tree basal area (TBA) and fuel flammability explained 60% of fire-frequency variance. Fire frequency and fuel flammability, in turn, explained 90% of TBA variance. These results reveal a novel system of scrubland–forest stabilized by vegetation–fire feedbacks. Frequent fires promote the persistence of derelict scrubland through positive vegetation–fire feedbacks; in forest, vegetation–fire feedbacks are negative and suppress fire. Thus, we attribute the decrease in wildfire activity to reforestation programs that concurrently increase forest coverage and foster negative vegetation–fire feedbacks that suppress wildfire. Vegetation-fire feedbacks in Subtropical China. [Display omitted] • A novel system of scrubland–forest stabilized by vegetation–fire feedbacks. • The feedbacks are positive and promote frequent fire in scrubland. • The feedbacks are negative and suppress fire in forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]