We now see they are transforming landscapes in very subtle ways but with devastating effects," Palmer said. It all starts with the whistling-thorn acacia trees in the plains of Laikipia, Kenya.

The whistling thorn trees and the acacia ants had a steady, mutualistic relationship and supported each other for many years. Then – an invasive ant disturbed their relationship, setting off a ...

Native acacia ants (Crematogaster spp) protect whistling-thorn trees from elephants, allowing the trees to form near-monocultures across much of East Africa.

Whistling-thorn trees, the dominant tree species in much of East Africa, provide nectar and shelter for native ants. In exchange, the ants defend the trees against browsers by biting them and emitting ...

Young female (left) and male lions stalk prey within a “pristine” (uninvaded) savanna. The whistling-thorn trees in the foreground provide cover used by lions to stalk and ambush plains zebra.

“It took several years before they spread out from those centers of human activity into the whistling-thorn trees in the savanna.” This is where the problem started.

The remarkable partnership between East Africa’s whistling thorn trees and their resident ants is well known, but now a new study brings to light the trees’ relationship with birds. Acacia ...

Carbon storage and soil health may decline as more trees die–whistling-thorn trees are legumes that add nitrogen to the soil. Without them, the savannah grasses could also suffer.

Louise Boyle Fri, January 26, 2024 at 5:20 PM UTC 2 min read Members of a lion pride at the Ol Pejeta conservancy in Laikipia County, Kenya (AFP via Getty) ...

Ants known to defend certain species of Acacia trees from elephant predation deter the massive herbivores so effectively that they are impacting entire savanna ecosystems, according to a study ...

The big-headed ants kill another type of ant that defends whistling thorn trees. The tree ants do this by releasing an acid. In humans, the acid can burn the mouth, throat or stomach, in addition ...

Whistling-thorns have co-evolved with the local ants. The trees provide the ants with shelter and food, in the form of large, hollow thorns into which they secrete nutritious nectar from special ...