ABSTRACT
Neotropical savannas of Latin America represent one of the last frontiers where agriculture could be expanded in the world. With an area of 269 million hectares (Mha), they account for nearly half of the total world’s savannas. These savannas are located in Brazil (203 Mha), Venezuela (26.2 Mha), Colombia (23.6 Mha), Bolivia (13 Mha), and Guyana (4 Mha) (Rippstein et al., 2001). Savannas in Colombia and Venezuela are commonly known as llanos (the Spanish word for flatlands). Neotropical savannas are generally defined as continuous ecosystems dominated by perennial grasses with disperse woody species, where water availability follows distinct seasonal pat-
terns, including a clear dry season. They are dominated by acidic soils with high aluminum toxicity and low nutrient availability, periodic burning, and moderate grazing pressure from herbivores (Walker, 1987; Huntley and Walker, 1982; Sarmiento, 1984; Bourlière, 1983). These factors not only regulate net primary productivity but also influence various ecological functional groups and their biodiversity within the ecosystem.
