High CO₂ can upset the balance of trees and grass in savannas - what can be done about it

By Sarah Raubenheimer, Instrument Scientist / Researcher, Rhodes University
Brad Ripley, Professor, Department of Botany, Rhodes University

Africa has larger expanses of savannas than any other continent. These ecosystems – mainly grasses and some widely spaced trees – support the continent’s wildlife and livestock, and provide many other ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, water balance, and climate regulation.

Key to the healthy functioning of savannas is a continuous grass layer, which many animal species depend on for habitat and food. Savanna grasses also carry regular fires that maintain the open, well-lit environment. Otherwise it becomes dominated by shrubs and trees, a phenomenon that we refer to as…

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