The giant African snail can reach a length of 33 centimetres (13 inches). It uses its tongue to scrape off bits of leaves to eat.
Life support
Life support A number of ongoing research projects are
exploring the role of species diversity in the health of an
ecosystem. The results of one study suggest that the number of
functional groups of plants in a system does more to affect its
success than the number of different species. Results also show
that beyond a relatively small number, the addition or subtraction
of more species to an ecosystem does not have a significant impact.
A second study shows that the types of plant groups present is more
important than the sheer number of species. Despite the finding
that large numbers of species may not be essential for normal
functioning of an ecosystem, having large numbers ensures that if a
few species are extinguished there are more present to replace
their function. 15 AUGUST 1998, P. 30-34
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