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Application of Vegetation Science to Grassland Husbandry pp 147–159Cite as

Effects of Game and Domestic Livestock on Vegetation in East and Southern Africa

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Part of the book series: Handbook of Vegetation Science ((HAVS,volume 13))

Abstract

The mutual interactions between plants and animals and between these organisms and the environment form the basic relationships in an ecosystem. In the non- forested regions of east and southern Africa, which have always been famous for their richness of large mammals, animals have played a particularly important role in the functioning of ecosystems. Their impact on the vegetation and habitat has often been decisive in either maintaining the equilibrium or in inducing changes. Two other factors of importance in this respect have been fire and man, the latter directly and as the manipulator of both fire and animal populations. Man has markedly changed the ecosystems of the savanna and grassland regions of east and southern Africa, most noticably by his agricultural activities, involving the hunting and eradication of game animals and replacing them by his domestic livestock.

Acknowledgements: I wish to thank D. Mason for drawing my attention to several relevant references and J. W. Morris for his comments on the text prior to publication.

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  1. M. J. A. Werger
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W. Krause

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Werger, M.J.A. (1977). Effects of Game and Domestic Livestock on Vegetation in East and Southern Africa. In: Krause, W. (eds) Application of Vegetation Science to Grassland Husbandry. Handbook of Vegetation Science, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1315-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1315-4_3

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