The research described in this thesis aimed to determine the effects of El-Niño Southern Oscillation fires on plant diversity in the tropical lowland rain forests of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Chapter 1 discusses the literature study carried out to obtain a basis for this work. It also includes an outline of the thesis. Chapter 2 describes a study of plant diversity in the largest remaining patch of unburnt rain forest in the lowland part of the Balikpapan-Samarinda area - the fire-protected area in the Sungai Wain forest. Chapter 3 focuses on the structure, composition and diversity of plant communities in the burnt and unburnt areas in the rain forests of East Kalimantan. Chapter 4 focuses on the distribution of plant diversity within the burnt lowland rain forests of East Kalimantan. Finally, Chapter 5 provides a synthesis of the previous chapters in the context of both the current fire crisis in East Kalimantan and the recent observations made by remote sensing.
