5 TOP

REASONS
ELEPHANTS
MATTER TO
AFRICA
by: Sofia Membrneo

1 SEED DISPERSERS
Elephants just living help the ecosystem. Due to the fact
that elephants eat many plants containing seeds, their
droppings also contain seeds and lots of nutrients. As
elephants roam around their habitat leaving their
droppings, the seeds in their dropping are then “replanted”.
Because of the rich nutirents containing in the droppings, it
makes for excellent fertilizer to allow the seeds to
germinate and grow. The seeds then grow into new grass,
bushes, and trees. This process the elephants acquire, over
all helps boost the health of the savannah ecosystem.

2
WATER PROVIDERS
In Africa, dry weather can be a major issue for all types of
animals that share the environment. For larger animals,
such as these fascinating elephants, the lack of water can
be a colossal problem. Because of how the elephants are
built, they can survive through the dry weather. Elephants
acquire many methods to find water depending on the
given conditions. During dryer seasons, elephants turn to
use their massive ivory tusk to dig wells in the ground to
reveal the water below the surface. They also use their
feet, trunks, and tusks to create holes in the ground to once
again reach the water. These elephants are not only
capable of providing water for themselves, but also provide
water to other animals who are in the same dry conditions.

HABITAT MODIFIERS
3

As elephants walk around, they trample unpleasant

shrubbery creating clearings. This allows new plants to
grow, creating new habitats for smaller animals within the
trees. The clearings also allow more light to reach the
forest floor, this allows the lower-lying plants a chance to
receive more sunlight and grow. This promotes
biodiversity, providing new roles for organisms to occupy.
Elephants also provide habitats for smaller animals by
knocking down trees and creating new spaces.

FOOD PROVIDERS
4

Elephants are one of the many food cycles in the

ecosystem. As any animal does, elephants leave their
droppings everywhere they go. The elephant’s dropping is
very major food resource for the many species that share
their home with the elephants. Dung beetles are one of the
many examples. The beetles collect the elephant dropping,
they then store it to feed their larvae. Elephants also use
their strong tusk to pull down branches, that provide fruit
and leaves as a food resource to the lower-level animals.

5
TOURIST ATTRACTION
Tourist that travel to Africa, typically come to see the
beautiful animals. Each year Africa makes about US$25
million from tourism alone. The elephants are one of the
biggest attractions loved by all ages. A study estimated, in
an elephant's lifetime, their tourism value is around Us$1.6
million. Not to mention tourism accounts for 10% of the
country's economy.