Untitled Flashcard Set

Serengeti National Park

Spans approximately $14,750 \text{km}^2$ in Tanzania and is part of the larger $30,000 \text{km}^2$ Serengeti ecosystem.

Southern Plains

Expansive, treeless grasslands with nutrient-rich volcanic soils, optimal for grazing.

Western Corridor

Riverine forests and swampy savannas flanking the Grumeti River.

Northern Woodlands

Denser bush country and rolling hills bordering Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve.

Kopjes

Ancient rock outcroppings providing microhabitats, water catchment, and predator vantage points.

The Big Five

A group of five iconic African mammals: Lion, African Leopard, African Bush Elephant, Eastern Black Rhinoceros, and Cape Buffalo.

Lion (Panthera leo)

The largest apex predator population in Africa, with over $3,000$ individuals.

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

High-speed hunter adapted to open flat plains.

The Great Migration

An annual movement of roughly $1.5 \times 10^6$ blue wildebeest, $200,000$ plains zebras, and $300,000$ gazelles.

Southern Calving Season

Occurs from January to March when herds congregate, and an estimated $500,000$ calves are born.

Western Movement

Migration from April to June into the Western Corridor due to southern grazing depletion.

Northern Crossings

The movement from July to October towards Masai Mara involving hazardous river crossings.

Trophic Levels

The different levels in a food web, including primary producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Primary Producers

Organisms such as grasses and woody plants that produce energy through photosynthesis.

Secondary Consumers

Carnivores or apex predators that prey on mid-to-large-sized herbivores.

Scavengers

Organisms that consume dead animal remains, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling.

Detritivores

Organisms like dung beetles that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the soil.