Bush encroachment has been recognised in southern Africa since the late nineteenth
century. Our review of 23 studies showed that the rate of woody cover change has ranged …

Though the distribution of global vegetation can generally be predicted from climate,
grasslands are an exception. C4 grassy biomes cover vast areas that are warm enough and …

The topics assessed in this chapter were last assessed by the IPCC in 2007, principally in
WGII AR4 Chapters 3 (Kundzewicz et al., 2007) and 4 (Fischlin et al., 2007), but also in WGII …

Abstract Walter (Jahrb Wiss Bot 87: 750–860, 1939) proposed a two-layer hypothesis, an
equilibrium explanation for coexistence of savanna trees and grasses. This hypothesis relies …

Bush encroachment affects the agricultural productivity and biodiversity of 10–20 million ha
of South Africa. Many people believe that we understand the causes of bush encroachment …

African savannas are undergoing management intensification, and decision makers are
increasingly challenged to balance the needs of large herbivore populations with the …

Since time immemorial dry forests and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa have provided
diverse ecosystems goods and services to large populations of humans and livestock that …

Moisture, nutrients, fire and herbivory are the principal factors governing tree–grass cover
ratios of savannas. We investigated tree (Acacia mellifera) recruitment after fire and under …

Abstract Objectives: To (1) assess the strength of evidence for the role of termites in
vegetation heterogeneity in African savannas, and (2) identify the mechanisms by which …

The coexistence of woody and grassy plants in savannas has often been attributed to a
rooting-niche separation (two-layer hypothesis). Water was assumed to be the limiting …