Ngorongoro conservation area, Tanzania: Fragmentation of a unique region of the greater serengeti ecosystem

Abstract

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), occupying 8,292 km2 of northern Tanzania, is unique among East Africa's protected areas because of its multiple land-use status. This distinction includes the explicit mandate of conserving wildlife and other natural resources while also serving the needs of the resident Maasai pastoralists and promoting tourism. It is an interesting case of highly productive land being protected from fragmentation into privately-owned parcels, yet it is being fragmented from pastoral use through conservation policy. In this chapter we briefly describe the natural resource base of the region followed by a discussion of East African protected areas and tourism. This is followed by a detailed discussion of land tenure in the NCA. These sections set the stage for an understanding of the processes of fragmentation of the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, and place the NCA within a regional perspective. We then look at the specific sources of resource fragmentation in the NCA. Consequences of diminished access to resources are then described. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the implications of fragmentation for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem.