Serengeti Savanna Food Web
Terrestrial
Tropical & Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands
East Africa — Tanzania and Kenya
Description
The Serengeti savanna supports one of the most complex terrestrial food webs on Earth, driven by the annual migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest. Grasses and acacia woodlands form the base, sustaining vast herbivore populations that in turn support Africa's largest concentration of large predators. Decomposers and scavengers play critical roles in nutrient recycling across this iconic landscape.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Dung beetles
Fungi
Bacteria
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Lion
Spotted hyena
2 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Cheetah
Wild dog
Jackal
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Wildebeest
Zebra
Thomson's gazelle
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Red oat grass
Acacia trees
Star grass
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Lions prey primarily on wildebeest and zebra
- Cheetahs specialize in hunting Thomson's gazelles
- Vultures and hyenas scavenge predator kills
- Dung beetles process herbivore waste, recycling nutrients into the soil