Tropical Grasslands Biomes-African Savanna Ecosystem

Tropical Grasslands Biomes-African Savanna Ecosystem

Ecosystems are constitutions of the earth. They are the communities in which organisms interact, both living and non-living. This interaction works together to establish life in ecosystems. Ecosystems exist in biomes, which are areas with similar climatic conditions, with ecosystems containing both biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors are the living aspects of an ecosystem, including vegetation, while abiotic factors are the nonliving aspects of an ecosystem, including climatic conditions and decompositions. One biome is the tropical grassland biome, which includes ecosystems such as the African savannas containing keynote species, invasive species, and endangered species.

Terrestrial ecosystems and biomes are categorized on the basis of the type of vegetation. Accordingly, there are different types of terrestrial biomes, including the tropical grassland biome. The adaptation of species that occurs in different ecosystems contributes to the biodiversity of biomes.  One tropical grassland biome is the African savannas, which is constituted of dispersed trees and grass. Annual rainfall of 12 to 20 inches and warm temperatures characterize African savannas, with drastic seasonal changes between dry and wet seasons and a variety of species, including elephants and lions.

Species are important in ecosystems. Some may be keynote species, others may be invasive species, and others are endangered species. Keynote species are vital species that greatly affect their ecosystems, and their extinction would have negative impacts on the ecosystem. One significance they have involves regulating the biomass of the ecosystem. In the African savannah, the elephant is the keynote species, being of vital essence to the ecosystem (Shannon et al., 2011).  The role of elephants as keynote species is illustrated in their vegetation destruction, trees and plants, clearing an area, and digging for water during drought seasons, enabling other organisms to obtain water for survival. This illustrates the change from woodland to grassland, indicating their significance due to their body sizes and population (Shannon et al., 2008).

An invasive species is a species that is not native to a specific ecosystem. In most cases, invasive species were introduced purposefully for economic or ecological reasons. Despite their benefits to the environment and society, they also have negative impacts on ecosystems. One invasive species of the savanna is the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, which was introduced purposefully into the savannah. Some negative impacts of the fire ants in the ecosystems include reducing biodiversity and affecting mutualism (Ascunce et al., 2011). They reduce biodiversity by replacing native savanna ants and reduce mutualism by eliminating some ants and arthropods and feeding on plants needed by other organisms. The management of the fire ants can be introduced using biological control methods, whereby different species are introduced to compete against the fire ants for resources, causing their reduction, thereby mitigating their impacts.

Endangered species are species that are close to extinction. One endangered species in the African savanna is the black rhino, Diceros bicornis. Various factors contribute to the endangerment of species, including the destruction of their habitats from climate change and poaching (Mason et al., 2012). Climate change affects ecosystems, affecting biodiversity, and consequently, different species become endangered. Additionally, humans’ encroachment on the savanna also contributes to the destruction of their habitat, displacing them. The destruction of habitats reduces their carrying capacity (Reid et al., 2007). Further, poaching is vital to endangered species, especially with harvesting ivory and rhino horns for trade. Accordingly, to help preserve this species, conservation procedures have been put in place, such as anti-poaching policies and activities involving rangers and increasing their population by providing them with habitats with carrying capacities; this has contributed to the increase in their population.

In conclusion, various species have significant roles in an ecosystem. Some of the species may be keynote species, invasive species, and endangered species. In each biome, a species might fall under one of these categories, for instance, the significance of elephants in the African grasslands as keynote species. Keynote species are significant species that greatly affect an ecosystem. In contrast, invasive species are species that do not natively belong to a given ecosystem that they live in, while endangered species are species that have an endangerment risk. Subsequently, it is essential to understand the role of each species in a biome and its significance in the communities of different ecosystems.

References

Ascunce, M., Yang, C., Oakey, J., Calcaterra, L., Wu, W., & Shih, C. et al. (2011). Global Invasion History of the Fire Ant Solenopsis Invicta. Science, 331(6020), 1066-1068. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1198734

Mason, C., Bulte, E., & Horan, R. (2012). Banking on extinction: endangered species and speculation. Oxford Review Of Economic Policy, 28(1), 180-192. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grs006

Reid, C., Slotow, R., Howison, O., & Balfour, D. (2007). Habitat changes reduce the carrying capacity of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, South Africa, for Critically Endangered black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis. Oryx, 41(2), 247-254. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605307001780

Shannon, G., Druce, D., Page, B., Eckhardt, H., Grant, R., & Slotow, R. (2008). The utilization of large savanna trees by elephants in southern Kruger National Park. Journal Of Tropical Ecology, 24(3), 281-289. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266467408004951

Shannon, G., Thaker, M., Vanak, A., Page, B., Grant, R., & Slotow, R. (2011). Relative Impacts of Elephant and Fire on Large Trees in a Savanna Ecosystem. Ecosystems, 14(8), 1372-1381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9485-z

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Pick a biome and ecosystem and create a 500-700 word essay addressing the following:

Refer to the infographic provided and choose a biome to describe with an example ecosystem.
Provide one example of a keystone species found in the biome/ecosystem. Why is this keystone species important to the biome/ecosystem? What defines it as a keystone species?

Tropical Grasslands Biomes-African Savanna Ecosystem

Provide an example of an invasive species found in the biome/ecosystem. What are some of the negative impacts this invasive species has on the ecosystem? What is being done to mitigate impacts?
Provide one example of an endangered species found in the biome/ecosystem. Briefly discuss the causes of the decline in the species and what is being done to help.
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