[DuckFeathers]

>I also don't get why you are bringing elephants into this

Because trees are invasive plants and elephants keep them out of the grassland ecosystems.

>especially because there are whole sub-species of elephants that are adapted to forest-dwelling.

Yes, trees did win that battle... potentially because of sudden drop in elephant population because of disease or famine... but it doesn't have to be the case everywhere.

>Savannas contain plenty of trees and other perennial plants.

This is a cause for concern and it is a direct result of the drop in African elephant population from several million to around half a million now.