Cultivation and Conservation in Ngorongoro Conserv

Authors: Randall B Boone Kathleen A Galvin Philip K Thornton David M Swift Michael B Coughenour

Publish Date: 2006/07/28

Volume: 34, Issue: 6, Pages: 809-828

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Abstract

Ngorongoro Conservation Area NCA Tanzania contains renowned wildlife an expanding human population and cultivation by Maasai agropastoralists and nonMaasai agriculturalists We used integrated assessments to explore some effects of cultivation on livestock resident wildlife and people Using a Landsat image from 2000 we mapped 3967 ha 9803 acres ac of cultivation within NCA or 397 km2 of the 8283 km2 conservation area Using integrative ecosystem Savanna and household PHEWS models we assessed effects of up to 50000 ac 20234 ha of cultivation cultivation concentrated into two blocks totaling 10000 ac 4047 ha and 20000 ac 8094 ha that may be more palatable to tourists and human population growth Simulations with from 10000 to 50000 ac in cultivation showed no large changes in ungulate populations relative to there being no cultivation When cultivation was altered to be in two blocks some wildlife populations changed ≤15 and ungulate biomass remained the same When cultivation was increased linearly with human population poor households needed 25 of their diets to come from relief as populations tripled because livestock could not increase significantly Our results indicate that having 1 of NCA in cultivation in its current distribution is not overly detrimental to wildlife or livestock populations and is important to Maasai wellbeingV Runyoro assisted with mapping cultivation and with outreach efforts Discussions with S BurnSilver and S Lynn greatly improved the research Our thanks to E Chausi for posing the questions addressed by the research team P Moehlman for providing data and to members of the Maasai community who provided input This publication was made possible through funding provided to M Coughenour J Ellis and K Galvin by the Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program supported by the Office of Agriculture and Food Security Global Bureau United States Agency for International Development under Grant No PCEG980003600 and by support from the US National Science Foundation Biocomplexity program to NT Hobbs et al under grant 0119618

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