J.R. BROWN and A.J. ASH

CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, Davies Laboratory, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Emphasis in management and research for tropical grasslands has focussed on increasing productivity via the addition of new plants, animals or energy to native systems. The criterion for success was economic performance. However, public expectations and a more thorough understanding of ecosystem dynamics, have redefined the goals of land management. In this paper, we identify temporal and spatial variability as the primary constraints to sustainable land management in tropical grasslands and provide experimental evidence to suggest that an enhanced understanding of key ecological processes is central to achieving sustainability.