Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores
1. Edition October 2019
784 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
Insights on current research and recent developments in understanding global savanna systems
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 behavior 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 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.
Preface
I Introduction
1. Distribution and Determinants of Savannas
Sally Archibald, William Bond, Bill Hoffman, Caroline Lehmann, Carla Staver and Nikki Stevens
2. African and Asian savannas: Comparisons of vegetation composition and drivers of vegetation structure and function
Jayashree Ratnam, Chintan Sheth and Mahesh Sankaran
3. Savannas of Australia and New Guinea: Vegetation and the Functional Role of Extant and Extinct Fauna
Garry Cook, William Bond, Edmund February and Richard Williams
4. South American Savannas
Fabian Borghetti, Eduardo Barbosa, Leandro Ribeiro, José Felipe Ribeiro and Bruno Machado Teles Walter
5. Savannas of North America
Norma Fowler and Brian Beckage
6. Socio-economic Value of Savannas
Wayne Twine
II Herbivores
7. Ecology of Smaller Animals Associated with Savanna Woody Plants: The Value of the Finer Details
Colleen Seymour and Grant Joseph
8. Evolution of Large Mammal Herbivores in Savannas
Daryl Codron
9. Browser Population-Woody Vegetation Relationships in Savannas: From Bites to Landscapes
Melissa Schmitt and Adrian Shrader
10. Predator Effects on Herbivore Dynamics and Behaviour: What Mechanisms Lead to Trophic Cascades in Savannas?
Simon Chamaillé-Jammes, Marion Valeix and Joris Cromsigt
III Woody Plants
11. Physiological Traits of Savanna Woody Species: Adaptations to Resource Availability
Edmund February, Corli Coetsee, Garry Cook, Jayashree Ratnam and Benjamin Wigley
12. Patterns and Determinants of Woody Plant Growth in Savannas
Anthony Swemmer and David Ward
13. Fire and Browsers in Savannas: Traits, Interactions and Continent-level Patterns
Gareth Hempson, Sally Archibald and Carla Staver
14. Woody Plant Architecture and Effects on Browsing Herbivores in Savannas
Tristan Charles-Dominique, Jean-Francois Barczi and Simon Chamaille-Jammes
15. Browsing Herbivore-Woody Plant Interactions in Savannas
Peter Scogings and Juan Gowda
16. Mesobrowser Abundance and Effects on Woody Plants in Savannas
David Augustine, Peter Scogings and Mahesh Sankaran
17. Megabrowser Impacts on Woody Vegetation in Savannas
Norman Owen-Smith, Bruce Page, Gabriella Teren and Dave Druce
18. Indirect Effects of Browsing Herbivores in Savannas
Corli Coetsee, Dario Fornara, Antoinette Veldtman and Ben Wigley
IV Synthesis
19. Water Limitation, Fire, and Savanna Persistence: A Conceptual Model
Brian Beckage, Gabriela Bucini, Louis Gross, William Platt, Steven Higgins, Norma Fowler, Matthew Slocum and Caroline Farrior
20. Savanna Ecosystem Models: What should a clever modeler code?
Greg Kiker and Peter Scogings
21. Woody Plants and Large Herbivores in Savannas: Ancient Past - Uncertain Future
Peter Scogings and Mahesh Sankaran
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.
