This volume is the fifth in a series of publications produced over the last five years on the ecology of tropical savannas. The volumes arise from work undertaken by the Responses of Savannas to Stress and Disturbance (RSSD) Program, under the auspices of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) Decade of the Tropics Programme, co-sponsored by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program. Savannas cover just under one third of the world's land surface and contain a large and rapidly growing proportion of the world's population as well as the majority of its rangelands and livestock. Most savannas are experiencing increasing pressures from demographic and economic changes that have increased dramatically over the past few decades. In addition to the changing patterns in demography and economics, and the forecasts of global warming further alert us to the most important challenge - to conserve and manage wisely the savanna ecosystems of the world. It is this conservation that forms the basis of the work of the RSSD Program. This fifth publication is comprised of research papers presented at the RSSD's international symposium held in Darwin, Australia, in 1988. The papers address the Australian perspective and intercontinental comparisons and come from an international, expert authorship.

Table of Contents:
1. Australasian Savannas:. Overviews. Australia's Unique Biota: Implications For Ecological Processes. Northern Australian Savannas: Management For Pastorial Production. Stability And Stress In The Savanna Forests Of Mainland South-East Asia. Savannas Of North-East India. Tropical Grasslands Of Sri Lanka And India. 2. Ecological Determinants Of Savannas: Abiotic And Biotic:. Savannas Of Northern South America: A Steady State Regulated By Water-Fire Interactions On A Background Of Low Nutrient Availability. The Influence Of Soil Fertility On The Ecology Of Southern African Dry Savannas. Nitrogen-Use Efficiency For Growth In A Cultivated African Grass And A Native South American Pasture Grass; Nutrient Cycling In Australian Savannas. Herbivory By Insects In Australian Tropical Savannas: A Review. Large Herbivorous Mammals: Exotic Species In Northern Australia. 3. Biological Mosaics And Tree/Grass Ratios:. Development And Stability Of Grass/Woody Mosiacs In A Subtropical Savanna Parkland, Texas, USA. The Origin And Extent Of Nutrient-Enriched Patches Within A Nutrient-Poor Savanna In South Africa. Tree Community Dynamics In A Humid Savanna Of The Cote-d'Ivoire: Modelling The Effects Of Fire And Competition With Grass And Neighbours. Tree/Grass Ratios In East African Savannas: A Comparison Of Existing Models. Stress And Disturbance: Vegetation Dynamics In The Dry Chaco Region Of Argentina. 4. Savanna Management For Pastoral Industries:. Management Of Savannas For Livestock Production In North-East Australia: Contrasts Across The Tree-Grass Continuum. The Water Environment And Implications For Productivity. Philippine Grasslands: Liveweight Gains In Cattle And Buffaloes, With And Without Introduced Legumes. Australia's Northern Savannas: A Time For Change In Management Philosophy. RSPM: A Resource Systems Planning Model For Integrated Resource Management. RANGEPACK: The Philosophy Underlying The Development Of A Microcomputer-Based Decision Support System For Pastoral Land Management. SHRUBKILL: A Decision Support System For Management Burns In Australian Savannas