Ecology of Tropical Savannas

Front Matter....Pages I-XI
Introduction....Pages 1-1
Front Matter....Pages 3-4
Australian Savannas....Pages 5-24
Brazilian “Savannas”....Pages 25-47
Chaco and Caatinga — South American Arid Savannas, Woodlands and Thickets....Pages 48-79
The Structure and Dynamics of a West African Savanna....Pages 80-100
Southern African Savannas....Pages 101-119
Woody Plant Biomass Distribution in Burkea africana Savannas....Pages 120-141
Front Matter....Pages 143-144
The Influence of Soils, Geomorphology and Geology on the Distribution of Plant Communities in Savanna Ecosystems....Pages 145-174
The Influence of Soil Moisture Balance on Ecosystem Patterns in Southern Africa....Pages 175-192
The Effect of Soil Nutrient Availability on Community Structure in African Ecosystems....Pages 193-216
The Influence of Large Herbivores on Savanna Structure in Africa....Pages 217-245
Fire in Australian Tropical Savannas....Pages 246-272
Ecological Effects of Fire in Brazilian Cerrado....Pages 273-291
Ecological Effects of Fire in South African Savannas....Pages 292-306
Front Matter....Pages 307-307
Physiological Ecology of Neotropical Savanna Plants....Pages 308-335
Water Relations of Southern African Savannas....Pages 336-358
Factors Influencing the Consumption of Plant Products by Large Herbivores....Pages 359-404
Response of the Humid Subtropical Grasslands of South Africa to Defoliation....Pages 405-414
Consumption and Decomposition in Tropical Grassland Ecosystems at Lamto, Ivory Coast....Pages 415-429
Front Matter....Pages 431-432
Structure of the Nylsvley Savanna....Pages 433-455
Front Matter....Pages 431-432
Towards the Development of an Energy Budget for a Savanna Ecosystem....Pages 456-475
Phytomass, Seasonal Phenology and Photosynthetic Studies....Pages 476-497
Nitrogen in the Burkea Savanna....Pages 498-513
Trophic Ecology and Plant/Herbivore Energetics....Pages 514-534
Litter Decomposition....Pages 535-553
Front Matter....Pages 555-555
Aspects of the Stability and Resilience of Savanna Ecosystems....Pages 556-590
Stability of Plant-Herbivore Models and Possible Applications to Savanna....Pages 591-609
A Developing Computer Model of the Auob River Ecosystem, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park....Pages 610-625
Management Strategies for the Utilization of Southern African Savanna....Pages 626-656
Conclusion: Characteristic Features of Tropical Savannas....Pages 657-660
Back Matter....Pages 661-672