The importance of history in understanding large tree mortality in African savannas

Fire and elephant herbivory are major drivers of large tree mortality in savanna ecosystems. Although the spatial variation of these agents is well studied, less attention has been paid to how disturbance history influences tree mortality over time. In a long‐term cohort study, we examined how the sequence of fire‐ and elephant‐induced damage influences mortality of trees and determined whether risk of mortality is compounded over time. Data on...