Wildebeest Questions Ethan Weed

How do the drowned wildebeest contribute to the ecosystem?

It is estimated that roughly 0.7% of the wildebeest population dies due to drowning when attempting to cross rivers and other bodies of water. Once their bodies collect alongside rivers, organisms such a vultures consume the meat off of the bodies bones. Vultures are scavengers, and often eat other organisms that have already died. Not only that, but it has been found that fish also consume the decaying wildebeest, making up about 50% of their diet. Decaying wildebeest are vital to providing their ecosystem both food and nutrients.

What conclusions could be made and what are the greater implications of these findings?

Through examining and collecting data on how dead wildebeest effect their ecosystem, researchers now have a better understanding of the impact that they actually have. The research collected goes to show that every organism within an ecosystem plays a role in providing things such as food. These organisms are capable of both providing to the ecosystem when they are alive and also dead.