Index

A

African savannas  12, 13, 53–78

eastern Africa  22–3, 56–8, 81–2, 84, 91–2, 125–6

southern Africa  58–61, 126–8

West Africa  13, 55–6, 121–5

alpha and beta plant diversity  50, 64, 89

animal populations and communities  81–3, 87–8

ants  85–6

Australasian savannas  12, 29, 73–8, 96–9, 128–30

B

baobab  123–4

Belize  21, 28–9, 71–3, 140

biodiversity  12–3, 50–2, 64, 88, 144–5

Brasília  18, 116, 133–4

C

caatinga  62–3, 89

capybaras  69, 89

catenas  38–9, 73

Central American and Caribbean savannas  26, 62, 71–3, 112–3, 147

cerrados  5–8, 13–14, 24, 27, 30, 49–51, 63–4, 67–8, 88–90, 113, 116–20

chaco  62–3, 89

Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park  89–90

climate change  139–42

conservation  119, 122, 145–6

D

disease  83, 125–6, 143

dry deciduous forest  11

E

earthmounds  65, 68

ecotones  25, 26, 52, 55

Emas National Park  89–90

energy pathways  80–1

ENSO events (El Nino and Southern Oscillation)  20, 54, 63, 75

epiphytes  22

Etosha National Park  55, 93–5

F

fire  7, 26–36, 67

fire experiments  34–6

food chains and webs  12, 79, 80–1, 83–4, 89

forest-savanna boundaries  25–6, 52, 53, 55

future issues  138, 143–7

G

gallery forest  64–5, 68

genetic tracking (DNA deoxyribonucleic acid )  14, 103–4

Guinea zone  53, 56

H

human evolution  13–15, 100–6

human migrations  107–14, 129–35

hyperseasonal savannas  41

I

inselbergs  36–7

ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone)  20, 54, 63, 69

K

Kakadu National Park  96–8

Kalahari sands  60–1

Kruger National Park  34, 60

L

lignotubers (geoxyles)  27–9, 66, 77

llanos  62, 68–71, 113, 120–1

M

Madagascar  53, 124

micro-organisms  38, 44–6, 66, 80

miombo  35, 53, 58–9, 87, 126–7

mopane  60

mutualism  83–5

mycorrhizae  77–8, 86–7

N

NGOs (non-governmental organizations)  119–20, 142–6

Ngorongoro Conservation Area  91–3, 103–4

Nylsvley  61, 80

O

Okavango Delta  2, 54, 94–6

Olduvai Gorge  92, 104–5

P

Pantanal  2, 62, 63, 94–5

pastoralism  93, 114, 118, 120, 122, 125, 127–8, 130, 132, 142

phenological changes  52

photosynthetic pathways (C3 and C4) 48–9, 71, 74, 101–2, 104, 140–1

plant adaptations  22–3, 27, 42, 50–2, 55, 64, 70, 77

plant composition  11, 12–13, 48, 50–2, 70

predator-prey relationships  80–1, 84

primary productivity  48–50, 79–80

R

r and k strategies  82

remote sensing and GIS  26, 29, 31–3, 144

S

Sahel zone  53, 55, 122

Sahul  108–9

saprophytes  46, 66

savanna cities  133–7, 146

savannas

animals  42–3, 57, 81–99

climate  16–22, 53–4, 69, 73–5

definition  1, 3–4, 48

distribution  1, 3–5, 11, 26

geological evolution  9–11

landscapes  1–2, 5–8, 11, 87–99, 115–30

origins  10–11, 100–2

population growth  131–7

soils  36–46, 52, 55, 58, 61, 66, 70, 71–4

vegetation  5–7, 11, 21–5, 27–36, 47–8, 50–78, 100–2, 123, 126–7

scleromorphism  52, 64, 77

Serengeti  55, 57–8, 81, 83–4, 86, 91–3

soil biology 38, 42–46

soil taxonomy and classification  40–1, 55, 66

South American savannas  12, 60–71

Sudan zone  53, 56

Sundaland  108–10

T

termites  8, 43–6, 78, 84, 89–90

X

xylem tissues  64