BRAINCAKEManaging Ecosystems - Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is a large area of savannah grassland in south-west Kenya, next to the Serengeti in Tanzania. It supports a very high biodiversity, including elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes and the annual migration of over a million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles.
The grassland is itself a plagioclimax: grazing by wild herbivores and livestock, browsing by elephants and occasional fires stop it developing into woodland.
The area is home to the Maasai people, who have traditionally kept cattle, sheep and goats. This leads to conflict between conservation and human needs:
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Key terms in this lesson
- plagioclimax
- The stable community maintained by continued human activity, such as grazing or burning, in place of the natural climax community.
- ecotourism
- Tourism based on visiting natural areas that aims to conserve the environment and to benefit local communities economically.
More in Populations and Sustainability
- Preservation
- Sustainability
- Sustainable Timber Production - Coppicing
- Sustainable Fishing
- Managing Ecosystems - Terai Region
- Managing Ecosystems - Peat Bogs
- Managing Environmentally Sensitive Ecosystems - Galapagos
- Managing Environmentally Sensitive Ecosystems - Antarctica
All 17 lessons in Populations and Sustainability · All OCR A-level Biology topics