PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF THE HERBACEOUS LAYER IN A GRAZED SAVANNA WOODLAND, BANDIPUR NATIONAL-PARK, SOUTHERN INDIA

This study provides an estimate of herbaceous primary productivity (ha rvest method) for a grazed savanna woodland ecosystem in the Ainurmari gudi Reserve Forest of southern India. Total net primary productivity calculated by adding trough-peak analysis plus consumption was estimat ed to be 1816 g m(-2)y(-1), with an aboveground productivity of 710 g m(-2)y(-1) and a belowground productivity of 1106 g m(-2)y(-1). Consum ption was calculated using differences in phytomass between fenced sub plots and unfenced plots. Consumption was 64% of total aboveground pro duction, which is equivalent to values observed in the East African sa vannas. Monthly productivity did not have significant relationship wit h environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, soil moisture a nd atmospheric humidity, but a significant positive relationship was e stablished between belowground productivity and temperature. Because o f high consumption and the lack of relationship between easily measure d climatic variables and productivity, this ecosystem deserves intensi ve studies in order to predict its dynamics.