This volume is the fifth in a series of publications produced over the last five years on the ecology of tropical savannas. The volumes arise from work undertaken by the Responses of Savannas to Stress and Disturbance (RSSD) Program, under the auspices of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) Decade of the Tropics Programme, co-sponsored by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program. Savannas cover just under one third of the world's land surface and contain a large and rapidly growing proportion of the world's population as well as the majority of its rangelands and livestock. Most savannas are experiencing increasing pressures from demographic and economic changes that have increased dramatically over the past few decades. In addition to the changing patterns in demography and economics, and the forecasts of global warming further alert us to the most important challenge - to conserve and manage wisely the savanna ecosystems of the world. It is this conservation that forms the basis of the work of the RSSD Program. This fifth publication is comprised of research papers presented at the RSSD's international symposium held in Darwin, Australia, in 1988. The papers address the Australian perspective and intercontinental comparisons and come from an international, expert authorship.

This volume is the fifth in a series of publications produced over the last five years on the ecology of tropical savannas. The volumes arise from work undertaken by the Responses of Savannas to Stress and Disturbance (RSSD) Program, under the auspices of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) Decade of the Tropics Programme, co-sponsored by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program. Savannas cover just under one third of the world's land surface and contain a large and rapidly growing proportion of the world's population as well as the majority of its rangelands and livestock. Most savannas are experiencing increasing pressures from demographic and economic changes that have increased dramatically over the past few decades. In addition to the changing patterns in demography and economics, and the forecasts of global warming further alert us to the most important challenge - to conserve and manage wisely the savanna ecosystems of the world. It is this conservation that forms the basis of the work of the RSSD Program. This fifth publication is comprised of research papers presented at the RSSD's international symposium held in Darwin, Australia, in 1988. The papers address the Australian perspective and intercontinental comparisons and come from an international, expert authorship.

1. Australasian Savannas:.Overviews.Australia's Unique Biota: Implications For EcologicalProcesses.Northern Australian Savannas: Management For PastorialProduction.Stability And Stress In The Savanna Forests Of MainlandSouth-East Asia.Savannas Of North-East India.Tropical Grasslands Of Sri Lanka And India.2. Ecological Determinants Of Savannas: Abiotic AndBiotic:.Savannas Of Northern South America: A Steady State Regulated ByWater-Fire Interactions On A Background Of Low NutrientAvailability.The Influence Of Soil Fertility On The Ecology Of SouthernAfrican Dry Savannas.Nitrogen-Use Efficiency For Growth In A Cultivated African GrassAnd A Native South American Pasture Grass; Nutrient Cycling InAustralian Savannas.Herbivory By Insects In Australian Tropical Savannas: AReview.Large Herbivorous Mammals: Exotic Species In NorthernAustralia.3. Biological Mosaics And Tree/Grass Ratios:.Development And Stability Of Grass/Woody Mosiacs In ASubtropical Savanna Parkland, Texas, USA.The Origin And Extent Of Nutrient-Enriched Patches Within ANutrient-Poor Savanna In South Africa.Tree Community Dynamics In A Humid Savanna Of The Cote-d'Ivoire:Modelling The Effects Of Fire And Competition With Grass AndNeighbours.Tree/Grass Ratios In East African Savannas: A Comparison OfExisting Models.Stress And Disturbance: Vegetation Dynamics In The Dry ChacoRegion Of Argentina.4. Savanna Management For Pastoral Industries:.Management Of Savannas For Livestock Production In North-EastAustralia: Contrasts Across The Tree-Grass Continuum.The Water Environment And Implications For Productivity.Philippine Grasslands: Liveweight Gains In Cattle And BuffaloesWith And Without Introduced Legumes.Australia's Northern Savannas: A Time For Change In ManagementPhilosophy.RSPM: A Resource Systems Planning Model For Integrated ResourceManagement.RANGEPACK: The Philosophy Underlying The Development Of AMicrocomputer-Based Decision Support System For Pastoral LandManagement.SHRUBKILL: A Decision Support System For Management Burns InAustralian Savannas