Figure 12.

Relationship between rainfall and biomass of mammalian herbivores in wildlife reserves in eastern and southern Africa (redrawn from Coe et al., 1976). Megafaunal herbivores need large amounts of food, and primary productivity by plants depends strongly on precipitation. Soil fertility also plays a role, permitting higher carrying capacities in areas of higher fertility (Fritz & Duncan, 1994). Mean annual rainfall in interior regions of Australia today is shown in green. Much of the Australian continent became hyperarid during the coldest times of ice ages (grey).