ABSTRACT
Savannas are normally defined as plant communities that are dominated by a stratum of grasses, or grass-like plants (‘graminoids’), but which also contain some trees, usually as scattered populations that do not form a closed canopy. When applied in the tropics, the term is usually taken to include the full spectrum of graminoid-tree mixtures, from treeless grasslands (Figure 7.1) to open forests with a graminoid understorey (Figure 7.2). This spectrum can occur within short distances.
