The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is defined by the movements of the 1.4 million migrating wildebeest of the region. Their vast numbers condition the growth of flora and the lives of other animals in an area about the size of the state of Vermont.
The vast migrating herds of wildebeest provide over 20 million pounds of food annually for the large predators and scavengers of the [G 14 / ecosystem]. Their extensive grazing limits the populations of some [G 22 / herbivores] while enhancing the food supply of others through their [L2 401 / direct and indirect effects on vegetation]. The millions of pounds of dung they produce daily provides habitat for thousands of species of [L2 402 / dung beetle]. These insects bury the dung and, by doing so, facilitate the fertilization of vegetation.
The Serengeti-Mara consists of [L2 403 / several different vegetation areas] supporting a wide diversity of animal species. Of these areas, the short grass plains support the highest concentration of herbivores in the world. Nearly two and a half million grazing [G 45 / ungulates] inhabit the plains during the rainy season. Once the grasses on the [L2 404 / volcanically formed plains] wither at the onset of the dry season, 95 percent of its inhabitants migrate to other areas of the ecosystem. They return to the rejuvenated plains the following growth season.
Ancient physical barriers as well as growing human settlements form the [L2 405 / boundaries of the ecosystem]. At its heart is the [L2 406 / M003 / Serengeti National Park] which makes up half of the area. The other half is made up of protected and unprotected areas that border the park. The [L2 407 / M005 / Masai Mara Game Reserve], in the north and [L2 408 / P014 & P002 / Ngorongoro Conservation Area] to the southeast are regulated and the protection of wildlife enforced. The land usage and human settlements in other areas are less regulated, some not at all. Currently, a strategy is being developed in an effort to optimize the conservation of wildlife in the whole region.
Man's involvement in the region dates back to [L2 409 / prehistoric times]. But, it has been in the past 3,000 years that man has influenced the grasslands of the region through the use of [L2 410 / fire and grazing cattle]. Man's [L2 411 / prejudices] of the past and [L2 412 / growing presence] today continue to influence the wildlife of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
