Armed Acacias, or ants against elephants

Biologists have found that ants deter elephants from eating African Acacia trees, balancing the ecosystem between the forest and prairies, according to an article in Current Biology magazine. Despite the fact that in the wilds of Africa the balance between prairies and forests is controlled by many factors – droughts, fires, types of soil and the number of herbivores, the study shows for the first time that some trees protect themselves by attracting insects.