Fire and browsers in Savannas: Traits, interactions, and continent-level patterns

Fire and browsers are both consumers of vegetation. This chapter focuses on African savannas because of the presence of both fire and largely intact, extant browser communities. Fire characteristics in savanna systems are largely determined by the productivity of the grass layer, and hence by rainfall. Browsing, by contrast, can potentially be a chronic, daily event for individual trees. Savanna fires typically combust leaves and smaller branches in the flame zone, and scorch leaf material higher up in the canopy. Browsers are more selective than fire, actively targeting particular species, individuals, or plant parts highest in digestible energy or protein, among other factors such as water and mineral contents. Woody plant architecture is an important component of defenses against both fire and browsing. The ability to resprout is an essential trait for tolerating fire and browser disturbances in savannas. Fire and browsing can have strong influences on plant reproductive output.