Grasses Of East Africa

Grasses of East Africa describes 100 species of common, ecologically important, or remarkable grass found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Grasses comprise one of the largest plant families on Earth but are possibly the most overlooked. Yet it is these ubiquitous and important plants that have the greatest impact on our daily lives - providing a wide range of staple foods for humans, a fundamental source of grazing for livestock, as well as food and shelter for an infinite variety of wildlife.This book includes:* Clearly laid out and easy-to-use species descriptions* Striking line and watercolor illustrations, labeled to highlight diagnostic features* Full-color photographs* A concise introduction covering the economic significance of grasses, their ecology, habitats, and conservationThis is a book that will be invaluable to students, scientists, travelers, and nature lovers, aiding identification while also highlighting the functions of these important plants.

The series Tasks for Vegetation Science is devoted to a variety of research aspects in vegetation science, pure as wellas applied. Of the applied problems one of the most pressing is to achieve better knowledge and improvement of the pasture vegetation in tropical and subtropical regions. As series editor I was impressed by the sheer volume of useful scientific information concerning pasture plants from East Africa collected during many years by Dr. Boonman and compiled in one manuscript. Dr. Boonman first came to East Africa in 1963 on an overland journey along the river Nile which took him from Alexandria in Egypt to Lake Victoria in Uganda and Kenya and back again. After a brief spell as a cotton agronomist in the Sudan Gezira he joined the grassland research team at Kitale, Kenya in 1966. Improvement ofseed yield oftropical grasses was his principal interest which finally led him into the fieldof breeding grasses. Well-known varieties from his work include Boma & Elmba Rhodesgrass as wellas Clone 13Elephantgrass. In 1979he was recalled to The Netherlands to head a cooperative seedcompany involved in the breeding of grasses and cereals. The author has focused this study on one region, Eastern Africa.Global application of theories runs into conflicts too easily with local types of farming, if not with bare economics. Very few books can be found that describe existing practices and seek local answers by digging deep in the stacks of old, local reports.