Are parrotfish just wet wildebeest?
Background/Question/Methods and Results/Conclusions Grazing ecosystems are typified by high densities of herbivores and high rates of herbivory. In these ecosystems, intense herbivory selects for fast growing plants that yield high rates of primary production and that can tolerate such high levels of grazing. Further, intense grazing and frequent nutrient inputs from herbivores yields rapid nutrient cycling. Although terrestrial ecosystems, such as the savanna grasslands of the Serengeti, Yellowstone National Park, and Konza Prarie are typically thought of as archetypal grazing ecosystems, many marine ecosystems have similar characteristics. Here, I focus on the comparisons between coral reefs and savanna grasslands – two grazing ecosystems that have remarkable parallels despite their obvious differences. Much like savannas, coral reefs have roving herds (i.e. schools) of fishes that graze the ecosystem intensely, regulate primary production, determine primary producer standing crop, a
