Stable Carbon Isotopes and Plant Water Relations in the Acacia Savanna Woodlands of Ethiopia: Implications for Reforestation and Paleoclimatic Reconstructions

Stable Carbon Isotopes and Plant Water Relations in the Acacia Savanna Woodlands of Ethiopia: Implications for Reforestation and Paleoclimatic Reconstructions
Author:
Publisher: Cuvillier Verlag
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2006-02-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3736917643

The savanna woodlands, which were estimated to cover 30% of the total land area of Ethiopia, are inhabited by economically, environmentally and socially valuable plant and animal species. However, vast areas of the savanna type vegetation are being destroyed due to anthropogenic interferences. Restoration/reforestation of large areas of degraded lands is a major challenge faced in Ethiopia today. Lack of knowledge, on site - species matching (exotic species), led to failure of most of the attempted reforestation programs and lack of information on the ecology and ecophysiology of indigenous species limited their use in reforestation projects. Despite prevailing harsh environmental conditions, naturally occurring tree and shrub species in the savannas have survived with the help of adaptive traits, which they have acquired due to long term exposure to ecological stress. Therefore, this study was carried out to find the answers for the following questions: i) could these adaptive traits be identified and manipulated to provide a basis for selecting important tree species suitable for rehabilitation/reforestation of degraded lands? ii) Do some of these species compete favourably for scarce resources and grow well in mixed communities? iii) To what extent does land degradation as a result of natural or anthropogenic interferences disrupt ecophysiological stability and lead to poor adaptations? and iv) What are the climate-growth relationships in the savanna woodlands?.

Only in Africa

Only in Africa
Author: Norman Owen-Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 379
Release: 2021-10-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1108832598

Demonstrates how Africa's physical features, savannas and abundant grazers enabled frugivorous apes to become savanna-living hunters.

Rangeland Systems

Rangeland Systems
Author: David D. Briske
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 664
Release: 2017-04-12
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319467093

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of scientific and management knowledge regarding global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The second addresses the implications of these conceptual advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21st century. This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge and commitment of 80 authors who have worked in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the complex challenges confronting global rangelands. Rangelands represent adaptive social-ecological systems, in which societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance to, and interact with, those of ecological processes. A more comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate solutions.

The Biology of African Savannahs

The Biology of African Savannahs
Author: Bryan Shorrocks
Publisher:
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2015
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0198702701

Savannah habitats comprise an ecologically important, but ultimately fragile, ecosystem. They constitute one of the largest biomes on Earth, covering almost 20% of the land surface, and can be simply described as tropical and subtropical grasslands with scattered bushes and trees. Most savannahs occur in Africa, although smaller areas can be found in South America, India, and Australia. They form a rich mosaic of diverse ecosystems, and this book offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to their ecology, biodiversity, and conservation. The Biology of African Savannahs describes the major plants (grasses, and trees such as Acacia) and animals (mainly large mammals) that live in this habitat, and examines the biological and ecological factors that influence their population size, interactions (such as predation), and community composition. Conservation issues such as climate change, hunting, and conflict between wildlife and domestic animals are also discussed. This new edition has been updated throughout with the latest research in the field, and contains new technique boxes which introduce readers to some of the analytical methods used to study African savannahs. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in savannah and tropical ecology as part of a wider ecology and/or conservation biology degree programme. It will also be of relevance and use to the many professional ecologists and conservation practitioners requiring a concise but authoritative overview of the topic.

Management of Agroforestry Systems for Enhancing Resource Use Efficiency and Crop Productivity

Management of Agroforestry Systems for Enhancing Resource Use Efficiency and Crop Productivity
Author: Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789201109088

Soil and water management is the key to sustainable crop production and food security. This book contains contributions from participants of an IAEA coordinated research program on the use of nuclear techniques for developing integrated nutrient and water management practices for agroforestry systems.