Ecology of Cenchrus grass complex: Environmental conditions and population differences in western India (Tasks for Vegetation Science, 23)

The idea for the present volume stems from the In many cases we had to decide ourselves what long time friendship between the series editor and changes had to be made in the manuscript. This the volume editor. The field work was carried out was done, however, with the prior consent of during several years of the last two decades by Professor Pandeya. We hope that we did not Professor Pandeya and his team of workers: overlook any items which should have been S. C. Sharma, H. K. Jain, K. C. Paliwal, V. M. changed - if we did, it is our responsibility. In Bhanot, S. J. Pathak, R. Sharma, S. C. Bhatt, P. K. order to demonstrate our responsibility I have Mathur, Y. N. Rao and G. V. Saratbabu. The wide signed as co-editor of this volume. scope of the undertaking required expeditions and The series editor accepted this unusual task individual field studies for which reports were because the topic is of great significance for dry available. subtropical regions of the world. It was the task of Professor Pandey a to sift all The Cenchrus grasslands are of great importance this information and put it together in a form in the dry areas of South East Asia. The value of understandable for an international audience. the ecological grassland study for range manage­ The manuscript was delivered to the series edi­ ment is therefore obvious. The two excellent fodder grass species of genus Cenchrus - C.ciliaris (Cc) and C.setigerus (Cs) - are inhabitants of drier sandy areas throughout Africa, the Canary Islands, Madagascar and eastwards to India. In India, they mostly occur in western parts, including the Great Indian Desert. Small patches of the two grass species also occur in semi-arid tracts of southern India. In its area of distribution, the two species exhibit high degrees of morphological and physiological distinctions warranting population differences. Extensive surveys and intensive studies established 25 ecotypes of grass Cc and 9 of grass Cs in western India. The population differences lie in morphological, physiological and cytological aspects. Mathematical approach has confirmed the distinction. Biochemical analysis further supported the population differences. Culture experiments have established high forage yielding ecotypes. Extensive semi-natural grazing lands of the two species occur in the region. Forage yielding capacity varies between 250 and 750 g m 2 /y 1 . Herbage dynamics, system transfer functions and accumulation and flow rates give a good knowledge of energy flow in the semi-natural grazing lands dominated by the two species. Some of the ecotypes of the two grasses have high nutritive value in terms of total protein and digestability. Seed production, germinability and culture experiments have shown its establishment potentials. Accordingly, cultivation of some of the ecotypes of the two grass species in India, Australia, USA and Africa have given encouraging results. The idea for the present volume stems from the In many cases we had to decide ourselves what long time friendship between the series editor and changes had to be made in the manuscript. This the volume editor. The field work was carried out was done, however, with the prior consent of during several years of the last two decades by Professor Pandeya. We hope that we did not Professor Pandeya and his team of workers: overlook any items which should have been S.C. Sharma, H.K. Jain, K.C. Paliwal, V.M. changed - if we did, it is our responsibility. In Bhanot, S.J. Pathak, R. Sharma, S.C. Bhatt, P.K. order to demonstrate our responsibility I have Mathur, Y.N. Rao and G.V. Saratbabu. The wide signed as co-editor of this volume. scope of the undertaking required expeditions and The series editor accepted this unusual task individual field studies for which reports were because the topic is of great significance for dry available. subtropical regions of the world. It was the task of Professor Pandey a to sift all The Cenchrus grasslands are of great importance this information and put it together in a form in the dry areas of South East Asia. The value of understandable for an international audience. the ecological grassland study for range manageƯ The manuscript was delivered to the series ediƯ ment is therefore obvious Front Matter....Pages i-vii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Geographical aspects, lithology, and soil conditions....Pages 3-22 Climate and water resources....Pages 23-46 Front Matter....Pages 47-47 Population differences in Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus ....Pages 49-114 Climatic factors in the distribution of Cenchrus ciliaris ecotypes....Pages 115-117 Front Matter....Pages 119-119 State of knowledge of the Indian grazing lands....Pages 121-131 Structure, magnitude, and dynamics of primary producers....Pages 132-164 Towards a simulation model climate-soil-Cenchrus grassland....Pages 165-172 Front Matter....Pages 173-173 Seed and its germination....Pages 175-192 Front Matter....Pages 193-193 System analysis of a village ecosystem—A case study....Pages 195-216 Front Matter....Pages 217-217 Discussion of results....Pages 219-222 Back Matter....Pages 223-234