This 1980 book was a synthesis of much of the recent work on the functioning of grassland ecosystems at the time.This book was first published in 1980 and was a synthesis of much of the recent work on the functioning of grassland ecosystems at the time. It is concerned with the ways in which nutrients and energy are moved between the physical environment, plants and animals.This book was first published in 1980 and was a synthesis of much of the recent work on the functioning of grassland ecosystems at the time. It is concerned with the ways in which nutrients and energy are moved between the physical environment, plants and animals.This book was first published in 1980 and was a synthesis of much of the recent work on the functioning of grassland ecosystems at the time. It is concerned with the ways in which nutrients and energy are moved between the physical environment, plants and animals.List of contributors; Foreword J. B. Cragg; Contents of IBP 18; Introduction A. I. Breymeyer; Part I. Processes and Productivity: 1. Abiotic subsystem W. T. Hinds and G. M. van Dyne; 2. Autotrophic subsystem J. S. Singh, M. J. Trlica, P. G. Risser, R. E. Redmann and J. K. Marshall; 3. Small herbivore subsystem L. Andrzejewska and G. Gyllenberg; 4. Large herbivore subsystem G. M. van Dyne, N. R. Brockington, Z. Szocs, J. Duek and C. A. Ribic; 5. Invertebrate predator subsystem A. Kajak; 6. Vertebrate predator subsystem L. D. Harris and G. B. Bowman; 7. Decomposer subsystem D. C. Coleman, A. Sasson, A. I. Breymeyer, M. C. Dash, Y. Dommergues, H. W. Hunt, E. A. Paul, R. Schaefer, B. ?lehlov? and R. I. Zlotin; Part II. Systems Synthesis: 8. Nutrient cycling F. E. Clark, C. V. Cole and R. A. Bowman; 9. Comparative studies of ecosystem function N. I. Bazilevich and A. A. Titlyanova; 10. Total-system simulation models G. S. Innis, I. Noy-Meir, M. Godron and G. M. van Dyne; 11. Trophic structure and relationships A. I. Breymeyer; Part III. System Utilization: 12. Management impacts on sl“i