Roles of gorillas in the ecosystem
Gorillas are endangered primate species that live in the tropical rainforests of Equatorial Africa
Gorillas are subdivided into 2 species that is to say Eastern and western gorillas
The Eastern gorillas habit the tropical rainforests of East and Central Africa whereas the Western gorillas habit the forests of Central Western Africa
Gorillas are herbivores animals which feed on only vegetation such as shoots , roots , leaves , bamboo and fruits.
Gorillas share atleast 98% DNA with human beings implying they are closest cousins to them after the chimpanzees.
Gorillas have a low reproduction rate where by they give birth after every 4 years when the young ones have fully grown.
A male gorilla can weigh ftom 120kg to 270kg whereas a female horilla can weigh about 80kg to 100kg .
Gorillas are social animals that live in families headed by a dominant silverback who is responsible of protecting the family and mating with all the females in the group.
Below are the roles of gorillas in the ecosystem.
Mountain gorillas play an important role of seed dispersal through the fruits they eat. When the seedling grow they form vegetation that acts as a habitat to other animals and also climate modification.
Mountain gorillas play an important role of habitat shaping evidenced when they move around the forest they make openings on forest canopies which allows sunlight to reach the soil and hence growth of new plants.
Mountain gorillas play an important role of nutrient cycling through their faeces that are used as manure in the soil to support the growth of plants
Mountain gorillas play an important role of being prey to their predators such as leopards . They act as food which supports the growth of the leopards in the jungle.
Mountain gorillas play role an important role of pest control by consuming insects and other small animals . This helps to reduce the populations of such organisms thus preventing harm to plant species.
Mounatin gorillas play an important role of soil aeration when they move because they create trails and small holes which improves soil drainage thus better water infiltration.
In a nutshell , gorillas are very important creatures with many roles both in the forest and to humans.
