Precipitation and elephants, not fire, shape tree community composition in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

A groundbreaking study reveals that tree community composition in Serengeti National Park is primarily shaped by precipitation and elephant herbivory, not fire. Analyzing data from 38 plots across a mean annual precipitation gradient, researchers found no evidence linking fire to species turnover. Structural equation modeling further indicated that elephant population density likely drives tree community variation rather than the other way around. This challenges traditional assumptions about savanna dynamics, suggesting that bottom-up factors like precipitation and top-down forces such as herbivory play dominant roles in structuring Acacia tree communities.

Rugemalila, D. M., Anderson, T. M., & Holdo, R. M. (2016). Precipitation and elephants, not fire, shape tree community composition in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Biotropica, 48(4), 476–482. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12311