Featured:
Allergies
Grilling Guide
eHow Now Blog

How Are Zebras Important in the Ecosystem?

How Are Zebras Important in the Ecosystem? thumbnail
Zebras are important consumers in the ecosystem.

Zebras are a type of mammal called an equid, which is related to a horse. Zebras are recognized for their vividly striped coats. They are very important to their ecosystems, playing the role of a consumer.

  1. Background

    • An ecosystem is an interdependent web of interactions between animals, plants, bacteria and other matter located in a geographic area. Ecosystems help the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients and other material.

    Features

    • Zebras are adaptable herbivores that graze on a variety of grasses. This helps wildebeests and gazelles, which feed on the grasses that zebras have clipped shorter.

    Prey

    • Zebras also play an important role as a food source for lions and hyenas. In areas where zebra populations have dwindled, lions and hyenas will also suffer.

    Threats

    • Excessive cattle grazing, reduced water supplies due to irrigation and hunting have driven one of the three species of zebra, Equus grevyi, nearly to extinction. The World Conservation Union classifies this zebra as an endangered species.

    Expert Insight

    • Some African farmers believe zebras are detrimental to their cattle populations. According to a Kenyan rancher saying, "Every zebra costs you two cattle." UC Davis ecologist Truman Young is working on a project to investigate the complex relationship between wildlife and cattle.

Related Searches:

References

Resources

  • Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of William Warby

Comments

You May Also Like

  • Grazing Ecosystems

    A grazing ecosystem is one identifiable by its prominent herbivore-based food web. The environment can vary from Arctic tundra to African savannah...

  • Why Is Photosynthesis So Important to Plants?

    All living creatures require energy and nutrients to survive. Animals can be divided into autotrophs and heterotrophs according to how they acquire...

  • Types of Zebra

    Types of Zebra. Zebras are one of the most recognizable animals in the world. Their black and white stripes make them stand...

  • About Zebras

    Zebras fall within the Equidae family. They are one of the more recognizable animals on Earth due to their trademark black-and-white stripes...

  • Importance of Ecosystem Management & Protection

    Every living thing on Earth belongs to an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be as small as a puddle or as large as...

  • Food Web of Zebras

    Food webs are visual demonstrations of how the food chain works with the species within it. A zebra food chain would start...

  • The Role of a Consumer in an Ecosystem

    An ecosystem is defined simply as the living and non-living components of a distinct ecological unit. Several essential processes occur within an...

  • Principles of Coexistence in Ecosystems

    Principles of Coexistence in Ecosystems. An ecosystem is an area where a variety of organisms share a common territory. Some species compete...

  • Description of an Ecosystem

    An ecosystem is an organization that includes all living organisms (biotic components) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic...

  • List of Organisms in a Lake Ecosystem

    Healthy lakes contain a diversity of life that rivals any terrestrial ecosystem. Every lake contains a different set of organisms, but the...

  • Classification of a Zebra

    Three species, the Burchell's zebra, Grevy’s zebra and mountain zebra are commonly referred to as zebras. These common terms get applied to...

  • Why Is the Neritic Zone Important?

    Why Is the Neritic Zone Important?. The Neritic Zone lies over the Earth's continental shelves. It is a subdivision of the Pelagic...

  • Human Activities That Endanger the Ecosystem

    Human Activities That Endanger the Ecosystem. The interactions between the living organisms and the abiotic, nonliving entities in the environment, constitute an...

  • How to Ride a Zebra

    Surprisingly, it is possible to buy a zebra and train it to be ridden. In 2009, a racehorse trainer in the United...

  • Roles in the Ecosystem

    Roles in the Ecosystem. Ecosystems comprise the complex relationships between the organic and inorganic elements of an environment, which include plants, animals...

  • Facts on Zebra Pipefish

    Zebra pipefish, also known as glittering pipefish, are tiny, hard-to-spot fish that resemble seahorses in their size and habits. The main difference...

  • Neritic Ecosystems

    Extending above the continental shelves that surround each landmass, the neritic zone comprises shallow, coastal oceans rich in plankton and small fish....

  • What Are the Causes of Change in an Ecosystem?

    Ecosystems contain a multitude of living organisms that have adapted to fill a particular physical environment. Anything that causes a change in...

  • How to Cut Back Zebra Grass

    Zebra grass provides nearly year-round color and texture to any landscape. This plant's elegant fountains of banded foliage grace the growing season...

  • The Role of Tigers in the Ecosystem

    Tigers, the world's largest cats, serve a vital role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystems. Unfortunately, all species of tigers are...

Related Ads

thumbnail
Featured