Plant responses to human activities in the tropical savanna ecosystem of Botswana

Abstract

In this chapter, views are expressed regarding the impact of human activities, such as grazing of livestock and wood harvesting on the savanna ecosystem of Botswana.Grazing by livestock affects the species composition, productivity and microclimate of the grass layer in the savanna ecosystem. It alters the competitive balance between trees and grasses in favour of the trees. Competition for water and nutrients, as well as food preference of the various grazers, are used to explain the process of bush encroachment. In a degraded savanna the remaining grasses may profit from the favourable environmental conditions underneath the trees.Wood in Botswana is harvested for fuel, fencing and building material. Harvesting affects the population structure and species composition of the natural woodlands. Scarcity of wood is felt, especially around the larger settlements. As plantations of trees have been shown ineffective, research is focused on management of the natural woodland. Particularly regeneration through coppicing and through seedlings is being studied.It is concluded, that ecological research in Botswana should continue to focus on sustained productivity of natural resources and on rehabilitation of the environment where it has been damaged.KeywordsEucalyptus PlantationArable FieldAcacia SpeciesNatural WoodlandSavanna EcosystemThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.