 塞拉賴特: 你能解開非洲大草原之謎嗎？

你能解開非洲大草原之謎嗎？

二十一世紀初，世界上分佈最廣泛的入侵物種之一 — 大頭蟻 — 登陸肯亞萊基皮亞高原。它們迅速擴張，形成超級蟻群，捕食其他昆蟲、蜘蛛，甚至小型鳥類。它們的存在嚴重破壞了生態系統，並顯著改變了地形。那麼，這些微小生物是如何造成如此巨大影響的呢？ 塞拉賴特對此進行了調查。[ 導演：史蒂夫韋斯特，Lazy Chief，旁白：艾迪生安德森，音樂：喬治羅德里格斯 ]

A single invasive ant species, arriving in Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, set off a dramatic chain reaction through the ecosystem. Big-headed ants decimated native acacia ants, leaving acacia trees vulnerable and causing over 70% of these trees to disappear in some regions within two decades. As tree cover vanished, lions lost their hunting advantage and shifted from zebras to riskier water buffalo. This upheaval rippled through the savanna, affecting not only predators and prey but many species tied to the acacia’s fate.

Tiny Invaders Trigger a Savannah-Wide Ecological Domino Effect

A small invasive species, the big-headed ant, set off dramatic changes across Kenya's Laikipia Plateau. After their arrival in the early 2000s, native acacia ants vanished from many trees, leaving acacias exposed to elephants and causing tree populations to fall by over 70 percent in some areas. With fewer trees as cover, lions found it harder to ambush zebras and turned to hunting more dangerous buffalo instead. This chain reaction revealed how even the smallest species can destabilize an entire ecosystem.