The Kruger National Park: The Ecosystem

The Kruger National Park food web will be used in this discussion. This ecosystem consists of many different species ranging from producers to tertiary consumers. However, in the Kruger National Park food web provided below, there are three distinct categories of organisms, which include producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumer levels. Under the producers, we have various types of plants, and these include Creeping Bristle Grass, Marula Tree, Sausage Tree, Fox Tail Buffalo Grass, and LM Grass (The Kruger National Park, 2018). In primary consumers include Buffalo, Impala Kudu, Water Buck, Duiker, and Giraffe. Secondary consumers include lions, Cheetahs, African Wild dogs, and leopards. If a top predator is removed from the food web, there would be various effects on the ecosystem; these include plant life, competition and biodiversity, and fear factor. Regarding plant life, when the top predator is removed the herbivores begin to boom, therefore, they put pressure on the vegetation which leads to the destruction of plant life such as grass and trees. This can also cause soil erosion and the loss of animals’ habitats. In competition, if a top predator is removed, there will be reduced competition among the remaining secondary consumers. Biodiversity will be maintained because the secondary consumers will still be able to consume the primary consumer. In the fear factor, regulation is decreased which leads to increased movement of the primary consumers leading to the destruction of vegetation. The possible effects on the abiotic components that result from the disruption of the ecosystem include soil erosion and increased wind flow. Soil erosion is brought when the top predator is removed from the ecosystem because the primary consumers increase in number and, thus, destroy the vegetation, which includes grass and trees. Consequently, the loss of vegetation causes soil erosion. The increased wind flow is also another factor that is brought about by the destruction of trees in the ecosystem. This damage can be repaired by adding other predators like crocodiles, hyenas, and leopards. These animals will reduce the movement of the primary consumers. 

References  

T he Kruger National Park. (2018). What is a Food Web? Retrieved from https://kruger- nationalpark.weebly.com/the-food-web.html