Migration of the wildebeest in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem

The seasonal migration of the Serengeti wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, is widely regarded as one of the near spectacular group events in the animal kingdom. Each course of study hundreds of thousands of herds travel from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Massai Mara area in Kenya in search of suitable forage (Mduma, et al,. 1999) The Wildebeest share a complex relationship with their environment. Their behaviour is significantly related to blank space ground heterogeneity with migration occurring in response to the spatial dispersion of provender and resources within their environment (Musiega, et al., 2004). However, the migration itself has a profound piece on both(prenominal) the flora and fauna of the ecosystem not only driveway the movement of other migratory herbivores such as zebra Eques burchelli and Thompson gazelle Gazelli thompsoni, and thereby the carnivores that prey on them, but also directly commute the dynamics of the plant community by aff ecting the tell and distribution of vegetation and thus the nutrient cycling of the root ground (Musiega, et al., 2004). The intrinsic role of the wildebeest has established this species as the ground tackle by which the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is both determined and delineate (Sinclair, 1979). The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem covers over 25, 000km2 ranging from northerly Tanzania to south easternern Kenya.

The system is closed; exceptional by both ecological and man-made boundaries which restrict the migration and foreclose the emigration and immigration of animals. The area lies within the forested Loi ta hills, which array from north-east to so! uth where they merge with the Gregory Rift escarpment and the Ngororngoro volcanic crater high drop offs to form the eastern boundary. The Loita plains delimit the northern boundary and the remain western stain is fenced off by agricultural land of the Wasukuma, Wakoma and Wakuria tribes (Mduma et al., 1999). The habitat is characterised by open grass plains with acacia woodland in... If you neediness to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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