The Lion and the Soil

Does a lion need soil? Does soil need a lion?

A herd of antelope is busy feeding on a variety of grass species in a savanna woodland ecosystem. A few metres away, there are remains of a buffalo, killed by a pride of lions a year before. The lion pride which killed that buffalo, one of many herbivores killed by predators across Africa, would have left skin, flesh and bones remaining after they were done feeding.

This would have been attended to by scavengers as well as decomposers. Many of the nutrients from the decomposition would have been returned to the soil in this process. The scat of the lions and hyenas, and the droppings from the vultures would have also returned and circulated nutrients through the soil.

The soil, now enriched with important nutrients, provides an ideal medium for plants to grow. Plants that themselves sustain many species, from birds to antelope to termites. These species are all important for the optimal functioning of the ecosystem, and are an important food source for many more species.

The antelope, for example, being fed on by a lion, or the termites being fed on by birds. The lions themselves are in turn fed on by other species, known as tertiary consumers - one such example is the spotted hyena. This whole process describes the continuous cycle of nutrients between different levels in an ecosystem, from the base up.

But... there’s also a different way to look at and understand this - from the top down.

Lions, being apex predators and the most dominant predator in many reserves, play an important, even crucial role in an ecosystem.

A herd of antelope, if left unchecked by predators, would multiply in number at an alarming rate. If their numbers increase too much, this will lead to overgrazing, and ultimately the loss of precious food sources for many other herbivores. In addition, the reduced ground cover can lead to increased soil erosion and compaction (hardening) of the topsoil by wind and rain, reducing the ability of plants to grow and water to penetrate, which in turn harms the important micro organisms in the soil.

Lions, being carnivores, feed on meat to survive, and a large pride would need to consume at minimum an antelope a day to sustain itself. The fact that lions are part of the ecosystem means that the antelope numbers remain in check, and the soil viable, creating a sustainable balance in an ecosystem.

Until next time,

Gaia Safaris