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Savannas are the dominant ecosystems of Australia's
tropics, covering about one quarter of the continent.
They are characterised by a covering of tall grasses
with scattered trees.
 Tropical
savannas are economically important for the mining and
tourism industries but pastoralism is the most extensive
land-use. Australia's savannas provide natural resources
that contribute $7.5 billion each year to the national
economy.
CSE aims to gain an understanding of savanna ecology
and how savannas respond to changes in evironmental
conditions and how savannas respond to different land
management practices especially fire and grazing.
Much of CSEs research into savannas takes place at
the CSIRO
Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre in Darwin, Northern Territory. Some of our
tropical savanna research is featureed in the following
articles:
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Over
burning pressures Top End's biodiversity
- CSIRO reseeacrh suggests that fires in the Northern
Territory could be having a negative impact on
biodiversity. ECOS 117, Oct-Dec 2003 (321kb)
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Just
add termites - termites play a key role
in restoring ecosystem helath to areas damanged
by agriculture or mining. Find out more about
termites and their role in maintaining soil health.
ECOS April-June 2002 (899 kb)
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Tropical
Savanna Research (TERC Web site) - this research,
undertaken in Darwin, aims to predict how savanna ecosystems
vary in relation to rainfall and soils, and how they
respond to land management, especially fire, but also
grazing, mining, tree clearing and habitat fragmentation.
Fire ecology and management in the rangelands and savannas
Aboriginal wetland burning in Kakadu
Ants give clues to ecosystem health
Monitoring cattle behaviour for sustainable grazing in tropical savannas
Related Links
>> CSE Research
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Research 
