Occurrence of plant species along Loduare - Golini Road, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) encompass a great variety of ecosystems including montane forest, swampy, marshy, dry forest, as well as long and short grasslands as part of the extension of the Maasai Mara and Serengeti ecosystems. This diverse ecosystem attracts a large number of different wildlife species to reside within the conservation area within close proximity. This variation also allows for a succession of feeding by herbivores as the seasons change. Wetlands serve as the next preferred feeding location for the resident and migrant grazers on dry seasons. Wild herbivores, conversely, graze grasses of certain heights depending on their specie. Vegetation within the conservation area is highly dependent upon locations in respect to variations in water inundation, salinity, and pH levels. The dominant ecosystem within the crater is the tall and short grasslands. The dominance of short or tall grasslands depends on the underlying soil structure, including the porosity and the extent of compaction.