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Serengeti: Nature’s Living Laboratory

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Populations
  • Communities
  • Ecosystems

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:39:45
Saved By
49 Users
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Description

This film explores the foundational research in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, that uncovered many of the ecological principles that govern how animal populations and communities are regulated.

This is the story of how ecologists Tony Sinclair, Simon Mduma, and Grant Hopcraft spent five decades piecing together the mystery of what makes the Serengeti the way it is and the central role wildebeest play. The film is divided into three main chapters. Chapter 1 explores the phenomenon of the sudden increase in wildebeest and buffalo populations and connects to the concepts of top-down and bottom-up regulation and carrying capacity. Chapter 2 explores how migration allows wildebeest to reach enormous numbers. Chapter 3 explores how wildebeest indirectly affect many other components of the ecosystem, making them a keystone species. The film can be watched in its entirety or as standalone chapters.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

bottom-up regulation, buffalo, carrying capacity, keystone species, migration, population dynamics, rinderpest, top-down regulation, trophic cascade, wildebeest

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria. Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 10.08.19
Date Updated 10.21.19

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.A, HS-LS2.C, HS-LS2.D

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-4, SYI-1, SYI-2, SYI-3

IB Biology (2016)

4.1, C.1, C.2, C.5

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 1.1, 1.11, 2.5, 2.7, 3.4, 3.5

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 2.2, 2.5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC5

Materials

HD (M4V) 1.5 GB
HD (WMV) 1.25 GB
SD (M4V) 330 MB
SD (WMV) 338 MB
Transcript (PDF) 278 KB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Population Regulation in the Serengeti
Activity Resource
Wildebeest Populations
Interactive Media Resource
Interactive Video Builder

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Photo of wildebeest on the Serengeti plain
Phenomenal Images
Wildebeest Populations
Photo of a herd of wildebeest preparing to cross a river.
Case Studies
Population Regulation in the Serengeti
Wildebeest population graph from the interactive
Data Points
Serengeti Wildebeest Population Regulation
Chart from the paper
Data Points
Patterns of Predation
Photo of a wildebeest grazing
Card Activities
Nutrient Cycling in the Serengeti
A map of vegetation and wildebeest locations highlighting the wildebeest moving toward an area of greater vegetation.
Lessons
Investigating Science Practices in Serengeti: Nature’s Living Laboratory
Photo of buffalo grazing on grassland.
Scientists at Work
Mystery of the Buffalo Boom

Other Resources About Keystone Species

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Image from the film of a survey plane flying over land.
Click & Learn
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Film Activities
Activity for Some Animals are More Equal than Others
Montage of keystone species from the interactive
Click & Learn
Exploring Keystone Species
Illustration of a trophic cascade taken from the film
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Some Animals Are More Equal than Others: Keystone Species and Trophic Cascades

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Phenomenal Images
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Photo of wildebeest on the Serengeti plain
Phenomenal Images
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Wildebeest population graph from the interactive
Data Points
Serengeti Wildebeest Population Regulation
Chart from the paper
Data Points
Patterns of Predation
Image of an animal drinking from a watering hole
Lessons
Building Ecological Pyramids
Image of niches from the activity
Card Activities
Modeling Trophic Cascades
Montage of keystone species from the interactive
Click & Learn
Exploring Keystone Species
Photo of Liz Hadly from the film
Scientists at Work
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Image of a starfish
Film Activities
Activity for Some Animals are More Equal than Others
Illustration of a trophic cascade taken from the film
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Some Animals Are More Equal than Others: Keystone Species and Trophic Cascades
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