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The wild fauna in Africa is a renewable resource and its overexploitation has led to the depletion of animal populations. This thesis focusses on the ecological characterization of the ungulate community of the West African savanna, with special reference to the Biosphere Reserve 'Boucle du Baoulé' in Mali, and makes a contribution to the ecological knowledge required for the conservation and management of West African savanna ecosystems.Part I contains background information on the environment of the West African savanna and its use by man, and it gives a description of the study area.Part II describes phenological patterns, production and quality for different groups of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees and analyses the vegetation of the West African savanna as a source of food for the different ungulate species. Choice of habitat, diet composition, energy and protein requirements in relation to the metabolic weight of animal species are investigated as they are necessary for the analysis of the mechanisms of ecological separation of ungulates.In Part III the ecological carrying capacity of the West African savanna in the Baoulé is estimated by calculating dry-season stocking rates on the basis of the availability of quality forage. Results are compared with other approaches for the assessment of the ecological carrying capacity in the West African savanna zone and in other savanna ecosystems, elsewhere in Africa and in Australia.Using information on the ungulate community and the ecological carrying capacity of the West African savanna, in Part IV management options for the conservation and management of wild ungulate populations are suggested.