About this book
Increasingly recognized as synonymous with tropical grassy biomes, savannas are found in tropical and sub-tropical climates as well as warm, temperate regions of North America. Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores examines the interactions between woody plants and browsing mammals in global savannas – focusing primarily on the C4 grassy ecosystems with woody components that constitute the majority of global savannas – and discusses contemporary savanna management models and applications.
This much-needed addition to current research examines topics including the varying behaviour of browsing mammals, the response to browsing by woody species, and the factors that inhibit forage intake. Contributions from an international team of active researchers and experts compare and contrast different savanna ecosystems, offering a global perspective on savanna functioning, the roles of soil and climate in resource availability and organism interaction, and the possible impacts of climate change across global savannas.
- Fills a gap in the literature on savanna management issues, including biodiversity conservation and animal production
- Applies concepts developed in other biomes to future savanna research
- Complements contemporary books on savanna or large herbivore ecology
- Focuses on the woody component of savanna ecosystems and large herbivore interactions in savannas
- Compares tree-mammal systems of savannas and other eco-systems of temperate and boreal regions
- Provides numerous case studies of plant-mammal interactions from various savanna ecosystems
Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores is a valuable addition to those in fields such as ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, natural resource management, and environmental science.
Contents
List of Contributors xv
Preface xix
Part I Introduction 1
1 Distribution and Determinants of Savannas / Sally Archibald, William J. Bond, William Hoffmann, Caroline Lehmann, Carla Staver, and Nicola Stevens 3
2 African and Asian Savannas: Comparisons of Vegetation Composition and Drivers of Vegetation Structure and Function / Jayashree Ratnam, Chintan Sheth, and Mahesh Sankaran 25
3 Savannas of Australia and New Guinea: Vegetation and the Functional Role of Extant and Extinct Fauna / Garry D. Cook, William J. Bond, Edmund C. February, and Richard J. Williams 51
4 South American Savannas / Fabian Borghetti, Eduardo Barbosa, Leandro Ribeiro, Jose Felipe Ribeiro, and Bruno Machado Teles Walter 77
5 Savannas of North America / Norma L. Fowler and Brian Beckage 123
6 Socioeconomic Value of Savannas / Wayne Twine 151
Part II Herbivores 181
7 Ecology of Smaller Animals Associated with Savanna Woody Plants: The Value of the Finer Details / Colleen Seymour and Grant Joseph 183
8 Evolution of Large Mammal Herbivores in Savannas / Daryl Codron 213
9 Browser Population-Woody Vegetation Relationships in Savannas: From Bites to Landscapes / Melissa H. Schmitt and Adrian M. Shrader 245
10 Predator Effects on Herbivore Dynamics and Behavior: What Mechanisms Lead to Trophic Cascades in Savannas? / Simon Chamaillé-Jammes, Marion Valeix, and Joris Cromsigt 279
Part III Woody Plants 309
11 Physiological Traits of Savanna Woody Species: Adaptations to Resource Availability / Edmund C. February, Corli Coetsee, Garry D. Cook, Jayashree Ratnam, and Benjamin Wigley 311
12 Patterns and Determinants of Woody Plant Growth in Savannas / Anthony Swemmer and David Ward 331
13 Fire and Browsers in Savannas: Traits, Interactions, and Continent-Level Patterns / Gareth P. Hempson, Sally Archibald, and Carla Staver 439
14 Woody Plant Architecture and Effects on Browsing Herbivores in Savannas / Tristan Charles-Dominique, Jean-Francois Barczi , and Simon Chamaillé-Jammes 469
15 Browsing Herbivore-Woody Plant Interactions in Savannas / Peter Frank Scogings and Juan H. Gowda 489
16 Mesobrowser Abundance and Effects on Woody Plants in Savannas / David J. Augustine, Peter Frank Scogings, and Mahesh Sankaran 551
17 Megabrowser Impacts on Woody Vegetation in Savannas / Norman Owen-Smith, Bruce Page, Gabriella Teren, and Dave J. Druce 585
18 Indirect Effects of Browsing Herbivores in Savannas / Corli Coetsee, Dario Fornara, Antoinette Veldtman, and Benjamin Wigley 613
Part IV Synthesis 643
19 Water Limitation, Fire, and Savanna Persistence: A Conceptual Model / Brian Beckage, Gabriela Bucini, Louis J. Gross, William J. Platt, Steven I. Higgins, Norma L. Fowler, Matthew G. Slocum, and Caroline Farrior 645
20 Savanna Ecosystem Models: What Should a Clever Modeler Code? / Gregory Kiker and Peter Frank Scogings 661
21 Woody Plants and Large Herbivores in Savannas: Ancient Past - Uncertain Future / Peter Frank Scogings and Mahesh Sankaran 683
Index 713
Customer Reviews
Biography
Peter Frank Scogings is Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Mahesh Sankaran is Reader, National Centre for Biological Sciences, India, and Lecturer, Institute of Integrative & Comparative Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK.
