African and Asian Savannas

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the similarities in vegetation structure, and composition, and compares African and Asian savannas in terms of their different drivers including climate, fire, herbivory, and soil properties. It discusses African and Asian savannas in the “Anthropocene” and the threats and challenges to their management. The chapter employs a classification, commonly adopted in the African context, which is based on the functional attributes of the woody vegetation and highlights important differences in the nutrient and water availability of savannas: fine-leaved formations versus broad-leaved formations. The preliminary analyses suggest that the effects of top-down drivers such as fire and herbivory are currently weaker in Asian savannas compared with African savannas. Globally, tropical savannas are among the most threatened biomes, with appropriation for other land uses including agriculture, industry, and real estate causing rapid conversion of this biome across the globe.