Question

In African savannas elephants are a keystone species. Elephants eat small trees, such as acacia, that grow on the savanna. Even if an acacia tree grows to a height of several feet, elephants are able to knock over the tree and uproot it. Imagine a drastic decline the elephant population that live within the African savannas. What would be the inevitable result?

Answer 1

D) The savanna would succumb to succession and evolve into a woodland.

Answer 2

The elephants are the keystone species in the Savannas of Africa. The ability of the elephants to knock over the several feet high acacia trees for feeding purposes makes the savannas a grassland. If the elephants were to disappear  than the population of acacia trees will increase and the Savannas will be converted from grasslands to woodlands. It will lead to the disturbance of diversity in Savannas.