Global ecosystem typology

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T4.2 Pyric tussock savannas

Biome: T4. Savannas and grasslands biome

Contributors:
(texts)

In pyric savannas, recurring fire is the principal agent that limits tree dominance and maintains tree-grass coexistence. Dominated by tussock grasses that grow tall during high-productivity wet summers and cure over dry winter seasons, these ecosystems occur on all major land masses at tropical and subtropical latitudes around the world. Large mammalian herbivores are usually present, but not at densities that limit grass growth or mediate tree-grass coexistence (unlike T4.1). Many plants have traits that promote tolerate of seasonal drought, such as deciduous leaf phenology, subterranean storage organs and deep roots. Invertebrate detritivores, notably termites, and vertebrate scavengers are key groups in the foodweb.

Key Features

Grasslands and grassy woodlands dominated by C4 tussock grasses. Strong seasonal (winter) drought, low fertility, and fires major consumer of biomass..

Overview of distribution

Global wet/dry tropics & subtropics.

Profile versions

  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): CER Lehmann; A Etter; DA Keith
  • v2.0 (2020-06-15): CER Lehmann; A Etter; KR Young; DA Keith
  • v2.01 ():
  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): CER Lehmann; A Etter; KR Young; DA Keith Full profile available at official site

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Lehmann CER, Anderson TM, Sankaran M, Higgins SI, Archibald S, Hoffmann WA, et al. (2014). Savanna vegetation-fire-climate relationships differ among continents. Science 343, 548-552.

  • Furley PA (1999) The nature and diversity of neotropical savanna vegetation with particular reference to the Brazilian cerrados Global Ecology and Biogeography 8, 223-241

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of T4.2 Pyric tussock savannas. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

There are 2 alternative versions of the indicative map for this functional group, please compare description and sources below.

T4.2.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

  • Resolve-Ecoregions-2017

Map references

  • Dinerstein E, Olson D, Joshi A, Vynne C, Burgess ND, Wikramanayake E, Hahn N, Palminteri S, Hedao P, Noss R, Hansen M, Locke H, Ellis EE, Jones B, Barber CV, Hayes R, Kormos C, Martin V, Crist E, Sechrest W, Price L, Baillie JEM, Weeden D, Suckling K, Davis C, Sizer N, Moore R, Thau D, Birch T, Potapov P, Turubanova S, Tyukavina A, de Souza N, Pintea L, Brito JC, Llewellyn Barnekow Lillesø JP, van Breugel P, Graudal L, Voge M, Al-Shammari KF, Saleem M (2017) An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience 67: 534–545. DOI:10.1093/biosci/bix014. Data-set available on-line

T4.2.web.orig_v1.0

Terrestrial ecoregions containing major or minor occurrences of this ecosystem functional group were identified by consulting available ecoregion descriptions (Dinerstein et al. 2017), global and regional reviews, national and regional ecosystem maps, locations of relevant examples, and proofed by expert reviewers. Consequently they are coarse-scale indicative representations of distribution, except where they occupy small ecoregions. Ecoregions were mapped at 30 arc second spatial resolution. Open image full size.

Datasets

  • Resolve-Ecoregions-2017

Map references

  • Dinerstein E, Olson D, Joshi A, Vynne C, Burgess ND, Wikramanayake E, Hahn N, Palminteri S, Hedao P, Noss R, Hansen M, Locke H, Ellis EE, Jones B, Barber CV, Hayes R, Kormos C, Martin V, Crist E, Sechrest W, Price L, Baillie JEM, Weeden D, Suckling K, Davis C, Sizer N, Moore R, Thau D, Birch T, Potapov P, Turubanova S, Tyukavina A, de Souza N, Pintea L, Brito JC, Llewellyn Barnekow Lillesø JP, van Breugel P, Graudal L, Voge M, Al-Shammari KF, Saleem M (2017) An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience 67: 534–545. DOI:10.1093/biosci/bix014. Data-set available on-line

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