Boots On The Ground Conservation

Of Ants and Elephants

The majestic animals most closely associated with the African savanna -- fierce lions, massive elephants, towering giraffes -- may be relatively minor players when it comes to shaping the ecosystem. The real king of the savanna appears to be the termite.

The finding, published in the journal PLoS Biology, affirms a counterintuitive approach to population ecology: Often it's the small things that matter most.