Elephants, woodlands and ecosystems: some perspectives

Abstract

My purpose in this article is to summarize, somewhat provocatively, the different perspectives that exist on ‘the elephant problem’—that is, how might elephants and woodlands coexist? These perspectives range from viewpoints focused narrowly on the damaging effects of elephants on trees to broader considerations of the consequences for ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Furthermore, I will highlight the pivotal importance of spatial heterogeneity and the contribution of surface water distribution to this heterogeneity, because I believe that inadequate recognition has been given to this aspect in the past. For more detailed information, and complete referencing of information see Owen-Smith (1988), Gillson and Lindsay (2003), Skarpe et al.(2004) and Owen-Smith et al.(in press).