Masai Mara Flashcards
1
Q
What country is the Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR)?
A
southern kenya
2
Q
How does the ecosystem throughout the MMNR change?
A
- primiarily savanah
- divided by the main Mara river
- fertile regions close to river are a combination of rich grasslands and woodlands
- further from the river are open plain with scattered shrubs and trees
3
Q
What is the region famous for>??
A
- annual zebra and wildebeest migrations
- large range of mammals, e.g.
- black rhino
- buffalo
- elephants
- leopards
- lions
4
Q
What happened in the past of the ecosystem? What is the effect of this? Wjat is being done to stop this.
A
- region was dominanted by the acacia bush
- provided habitat for tsete fly
- carrier of African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
- to reduce the incidences of the disease governement workers and indigenous communitities have cleared major tracts of acacia over the last 50 years
- elephants, fire, and cattle grazing have further reduced the presence of acacia and other woody plants
5
Q
How is farming done in the MMNR?
A
- traditionally, used by local tribes for livestock grazing
- practiced tradiation method of farming known as semi-nomadic farming
- tribes moved depending on climate variation, and the presence of tsetse flies
- this allowed vegatation time to recover from animal grazing whenever the farmers moved on to another area
- grazing is now limited to areas on the edge of the reserve
- local tribes are prevented from entering the park
- populations have grown in these margonal areas
- larger herds graze the grassland areas, and more trees are removed for fuel
- as vegetation is removed, the risk of soil erosion increases
6
Q
How is cultivation done in the Masai Mara?
A
- level of cultivation has increased
- grassland converted to cropland
- natural vegetation removed
- nutrients used up
- this leads to reliance on fertilisers for effective crop growth
7
Q
What is ecotourism
A
- tourism directed towards natural environments to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife
- type of sustainable development
- seeks to reduce impact of tourism has on naturally beautiful enviornment
- less invasive use of land
8
Q
Why is ecotourism important in Masai Mara?
A
relies on ecotourism for income
9
Q
What are the key principles of ecotourism?
A
- ensure tourism does not exploit natural environment or local communities
- consult and engage local communities on planned developments
- ensure that infrastricture improvements benefits local people as well as visitors
10
Q
How does ecotourism -vely effect the environment?
A
- repeated use of hiking trail, or use of mechanised transport, may contribute to soil erosion and other habitat changes
11
Q
WHat is the purpose of forming a nature reserve?
A
- conservation of endangered species
- most popular large mammals have experienced population declines
- beyond those expected from climate or natural variation
12
Q
What is special about Black rhinos?
A
- one of the most endangered animals in Africa
- appear on the IUCN crituically endangered list
13
Q
What causes the problem with the black rhino?
A
- despite the trade being illegal, rhino horn is in huge demand
- used for traditional medicine in south-east Asia
- people are lured into poaching by the vast sums of money offered to trade in this matterial
14
Q
What happens to the number of black rhino between 1972 to 1982 in the Masai Mara?
A
- 100 in 1972 to a handful in 1982 due to illegal poaching
15
Q
What was done to restore numbers of Black rhino?
A
- active conservation and protection programme established to encourage a balance between the needs of local communities and those of the wildlife
- included
- empoloyment of reserve rangers
- communication equipment
- vehicles
- and other necessary equipment and infrastructure
- these helped deter poachers and black rhino numbers increased significantly
16
Q
What scientific project have been (or are currently being) undertaken in the Masai Mara?
A
- Michigan State Uni
- studying behaviour and physiology of the predator spotted hyena
- Subalusky and Dutton
- completing a flow assessment for the Mara River Basin
- aim is to identify the river flows needed to provide for both the basic human needs of the million people who depend on the water
- and to sustain the ecosystem in its current form
- The Mara Predator Project
- catalogues and monitors lions populations through the region
- aims to identify the popu. trends and responses to changes in land management, human settlements, livestock movements, and tourism
- The Mara-Meru Cheetah Project
- aims to monitor the cheetah popu. and evaluate the impact of human activity on cheetah behaviour and survival
17
Q
How do Elephants (or other large mammals or grazing animals) affect humans? What has been done to reduce this effect
A
- threaten cultivation
- trampling and damage to homesteads
- other grazing animals may eat the crops
- to prevent this, the land may be fenced, but this has a -ve effect on natural migration
18
Q
Why is the legal hunting?
A
- cull excess animals
- maintain popu. numbers and bring in considerable amounts of money for conservation work
- however, numbers need to be constantly monitored to ensure that levels are sufficient to maintain the natural balance within the ecosytstem
19
Q
How does livestock face threat from migratory wildlife?
A
- during wildebeest migration, the wildebeest outcompete cattle for grass
- diseases are introduced to the domesticated animal population
- equally, the domesticated cattle eat vegetation that could be used by migrating zebras and wildebeest, and diseases can spread from the domestic to the wild animals
20
Q
What effect does bulding have on wild animals?
A
- as human popu. expands more homes are required as well as land for cattle and agriculture
- evidence suggests that wildlife density declines significantly as the density of the built environment rises.
