Tarangire Ecosystem

Approximate outline of the Tarangire Ecosystem in northern Tanzania.

The Tarangire Ecosystem (/ˌtɑːrɑːnˈɡɪreɪ/) is a geographical region in northern Tanzania, Africa. It extends between 2.5 and 5.5 degrees south latitudes and between 35.5 and 37 degrees east longitudes.[1][2]

The Tarangire Ecosystem hosts the second-largest population of migratory ungulates in East Africa and the largest population of elephants in northern Tanzania.[3][4]

The Tarangire Ecosystem is defined by watershed boundaries of the Lake Manyara Basin and the Engaruka Basin,[5] and the long distance migratory movements of eastern white-bearded wildebeest and plains zebra.[2][6][7] It includes the dry season wildlife concentration area near the Tarangire River in Tarangire National Park, and the wet-season dispersal and calving grounds to the north in the Northern Plains and to the east in Simanjiro Plains, spanning in total approximately 20,500 km2 (7,900 sq mi).[7][8] Migratory animals must have access to both the dry-season water source in the park, and the nutrient-rich forage available only on the calving grounds outside the park to successfully raise their calves and maintain their high abundance.[9]

The Tarangire Ecosystem is also known as the Masai Steppe, or the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem.

Tarangire has approximately 500 species of birds, and more than 60 species of larger mammal.[10][11]

  1. ^ Kiffner, C.; Bond, M.L.; Lee, D.E. (2022). Tarangire: Human-Wildlife Coexistence in a Fragmented Ecosystem (1st ed.). Switzerland: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-93604-4. ISBN 978-3-030-93603-7. S2CID 248302914.
  2. ^ a b Lamprey, H.F. (1963). "The Tarangire Game Reserve". Tanganyika Notes and Records. 60: 10–22.
  3. ^ Bolger, Douglas T.; Newmark, William D.; Morrison, Thomas A.; Doak, Daniel F. (2007). "The need for integrative approaches to understand and conserve migratory ungulates". Ecology Letters. 11 (1): 070926060247001––. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01109.x. PMID 17897327.
  4. ^ Foley, Charles A. H.; Faust, Lisa J. (2010-04-01). "Rapid population growth in an elephant Loxodonta africana population recovering from poaching in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania". Oryx. 44 (2): 205–212. doi:10.1017/S0030605309990706. ISSN 1365-3008.
  5. ^ Bachofer, Felix; Quénéhervé, Geraldine; Märker, Michael (2014). "The Delineation of Paleo-Shorelines in the Lake Manyara Basin Using TerraSAR-X Data". Remote Sensing. 6 (3): 2195–2212. Bibcode:2014RemS....6.2195B. doi:10.3390/rs6032195. hdl:2158/911957. ISSN 2072-4292.
  6. ^ Lamprey, H. F. (1964-08-01). "Estimation of the Large Mammal Densities, Biomass and Energy Exchange in the Tarangire Game Reserve and the Masai Steppe in Tanganyika". African Journal of Ecology. 2 (1): 1–46. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.1964.tb00194.x. ISSN 1365-2028.
  7. ^ a b Borner, Markus (1985-04-01). "The increasing isolation of Tarangire National Park". Oryx. 19 (2): 91–96. doi:10.1017/S0030605300019797. ISSN 1365-3008.
  8. ^ Bond, Monica L.; Bradley, Curtis M.; Kiffner, Christian; Morrison, Thomas A.; Lee, Derek E. (2017-05-26). "A multi-method approach to delineate and validate migratory corridors" (PDF). Landscape Ecology. 32 (8): 1705–1721. doi:10.1007/s10980-017-0537-4. ISSN 0921-2973. S2CID 24743662.
  9. ^ Voeten, Margje M.; Van De Vijver, Claudius A.D.M.; Olff, Han; Van Langevelde, Frank (2010-03-01). "Possible causes of decreasing migratory ungulate populations in an East African savannah after restrictions in their seasonal movements" (PDF). African Journal of Ecology. 48 (1): 169–179. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2009.01098.x. ISSN 1365-2028. S2CID 85458423.
  10. ^ "Bird Checklist for Tarangire National Park". www.exoticbirding.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  11. ^ Foley, C. "Mammals of Tarangire National Park" (PDF).