Tropical grassy biomes (TGBs) are globally extensive, provide critical ecosystem services,
and influence the earth–atmosphere system. Yet, globally applied biome definitions ignore …

Poaceae (the grasses) is arguably the most successful plant family, in terms of its global
occurrence in (almost) all ecosystems with angiosperms, its ecological dominance in many …

Woody vegetation in grasslands and savannas has increased worldwide over the past 100–
200 years. This phenomenon of “woody plant encroachment”(WPE) has been documented …

This book explores the geography, ecology, and antiquity of'open ecosystems', which
include grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. They occur in climates that can support …

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 …

Tropical savannas have a ground cover dominated by C4 grasses, with fire and herbivory
constraining woody cover below a rainfall‐based potential. The savanna biome covers 50 …

Understanding the mechanisms controlling the distribution of biomes remains a challenge.
Although tropical biome distribution has traditionally been explained by climate and soil …

Trade-off is defined as a situation where one ecosystem service (ES) increases while
another decreases. In a broader sense, trade-off also refers to unidirectional changes with …

Global circulation models and empirical evidence suggest that precipitation events are likely
to become more extreme across much of the globe,. As most plant roots are in shallow …

Climate change is expected to lead to more frequent, intense and longer droughts in the
future, with major implications for ecosystem processes and human livelihoods. The impacts …