Open Ecosystems

This book explores the geography ecology and antiquity of 'open ecosystems' which include grasslands savannas and shrublands. They occur in climates that can support closed forest ecosystems and often form mosaics with forest patches. With the aid of remote sensing it is now clear that open ecosystems are a global phenomenon and occur over vast areas in climates that could also support forests. This book goes beyond regional narratives and seeks generalexplanations for their existence. It develops the theme of open ecosystems as being widespread and ancient with a distinct biota from that of closed forests. It examines hypotheses for their maintenance in climate zones favouring the development of forests including fire vertebrate herbivory and soilshostile for tree growth.Open Ecosystems: ecology and evolution beyond the forest edge provides an accessible introduction for graduate students and researchers of open (non-forested) ecosystem ecology in departments of ecology geography and environmental science. It will also be of relevance and use to professional ecologists biogeographers and global change biologists requiring a concise authoritative overview of the topic.