Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Water Relations of Southern African Savannas

  • Conference paper
Ecology of Tropical Savannas

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 42))

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to discuss the water dependency of and water use by plants in southern African savannas. Water is virtually a conservable quantity and as such a water budget can be constructed. This in its simplest form is thus:

$$Inflow = Outflow \pm Storage$$

The major sources of input and outflow paths will be discussed. The use of system modelling will also be demonstrated, and some of the outputs from such a model will be considered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bate G C and B H Walker 1978. Report on the water relations of the trees in the lower Kuiseb. Report to the National Programme of Environmental Sciences. Typescript. 35 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berendse F 1979. Competition between plant populations with different rooting depths. 1. Theoretical considerations. Qecologia (Berlin) 43, 19 - 26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brueckner A E 1945. Transpiration studies of some Natal midlands thornveld trees. South African Journal of Science 41, 186 - 193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee B J, F van der Meulen, S Zwanziger, P Gonsalves and P J Weisser 1977. A phytosociological classification of the Nylsvley Nature Reserve. South African National Scientific Progress Report 20, 1 - 31.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vi11iers G du T 1978. Grondreenval en onderskeppingsverlies in ’n Burkea en Oehna stand. Report to the National Programme for Environmental Sciences. Typescript. 13 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drews B 1979. A comparison of techniques for determining transpiration. BSc Honours Project Report. University of the Witwatersrand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar G B 1978. Feedforward responses of stomata to humidity. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 5, 787 - 800.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gates D M and L E Papian 1971. Atlas of energy budgets of plant leaves. Academic Press, New York/London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meidner H and D W Sheriff 1976. Water and plants. Blackie, London/Glasgow. 148 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monteith J L 1973. Principles of environmental physics. Contemporary Biology Series. Edward Arnold, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opperman D P J, J J Human and M F Viljoen 1977. Evapotranspirasiestudies op Themeda triandra Forsk onder veldtoestande. Handboek Weidings- vereniging van Suid-Afrika 12, 71 - 76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prioul J L, A Reyss and P Chartier 1975. Relationships between carbon dioxide transfer resistances and some physiological and anatomical features. In: Marcelle R (ed) Environmental and biological control of photosynthesis. Junk, The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford M C 1979. Aboveground biomass subdivisions in woody species of the savanna ecosystem project study area, Nylsvley. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 36, 1 - 33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slavik B 1974. Methods of studying plant water relations. Ecological Studies 9. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swinbank W C 1963. Long wave radiation from clear skies. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 89, 339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Rooyen D J 1978. Surface and sub-surface hydrology of the Burkea-veld. Report to the National Programme for Environmental Sciences. Typescript. 8 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Wyk 1978. ’n Studie van die ondergrondse biomassa van die Eragrostis pallens-Burkea africana savanne op Nylsvley 1977/1978. Report to the National Programme for Environmental Sciences. Typescript. 5 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinmann H and M le Roux 1946. A critical study of the torsion balance (method) of measuring transpiration. South African Journal of Science 42, 147 - 153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore J S 1971. South Africa’s water budget. South African Journal of Science 67, 166 - 176.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. G. C. Bate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. R. Furniss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. G. Pendle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR, Cooperative Scientific Programmes, P.O. Box 395, 0001, Pretoria, South Africa

    Brian J. Huntley

  2. Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of the Witwatersrand, P.O. Box 1176, 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Brian H. Walker

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1982 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Bate, G.C., Furniss, P.R., Pendle, B.G. (1982). Water Relations of Southern African Savannas. In: Huntley, B.J., Walker, B.H. (eds) Ecology of Tropical Savannas. Ecological Studies, vol 42. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68786-0_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68786-0_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-68788-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-68786-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation