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Biodiversity and Savanna Ecosystem Processes pp 1–27Cite as

The Diversity of the Savanna Ecosystem

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 121))

Abstract

Savannas are defined by Bourlière and Hadley (1983) as “tropical grasslands with scattered tress.” Ecosystems with these characteristics are found throughout the tropics in all continents but particularly in the Americas, Africa, and Australia. However, this physiognomic definition encompasses a great deal of diversity in both biotic and abiotic characteristics, in floristic composition and in vegetation history. This chapter presents a summary of this diversity.

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Authors
  1. Otto T. Solbrig
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 22 Divinity Avenue, 02138, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Otto T. Solbrig

  2. Instituto Venezelano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Centro de Ecologia, Aptdo. 21827, 1020-A, Caracas, Venezuela

    Ernesto Medina

  3. CIELAT, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Merida, Venezuela

    Juan F. Silva

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Solbrig, O.T. (1996). The Diversity of the Savanna Ecosystem. In: Solbrig, O.T., Medina, E., Silva, J.F. (eds) Biodiversity and Savanna Ecosystem Processes. Ecological Studies, vol 121. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78969-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78969-4_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-78971-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-78969-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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