The Serengeti in the Savanna: 2012

The Serengeti is one out of Tanzania’s fifteen national parks, and is also a minor part of Kenya; all of which is located in Eastern Africa. This park was created in 1951 after verifying the park’s protected area status. Today, the Serengeti has an area of 27,000 km²and is positioned at 1,600m to 1,800m above sea level, since it is a part of the high interior plateau of East Africa. This park is part of the tropical grassland biome or also known as a savanna. Savannas are mainly covered with grasses with scattered amounts of trees. In a savanna, there is typically little precipitation. The Serengeti experiences orographic precipitation from the Meru-Kilimanjaro mountain range, further contributing to the climate’s wet and dry seasons. Therefore, when rain does fall, long periods of rain fall between March and May, while short periods of rain falls between November and December.

Plants in the ecosystem have become adapted to the droughts and fires that occur, which is why there is an extensive root system in the ecosystem. During the wet season, plants grow very quickly due to the nutrient rich soil and due to the suppression of fire. However, during the dry season, fire is what allows these plants to burn and prevent the overgrowing of plants. The Serengeti contains the largest number of animal species and animal populations in Eastern Africa. Today, the Serengeti contains the greatest concentration of large predators as well as migratory herds. For example many carnivorous megafauna like lions and cheetahs exist in this ecosystem today due to competition with other animals. Herbivores like wildebeest and zebras migrate long distances across the Serengeti. Overall, the park itself is protected in order to maintain the ecosystem, and it is one of the few places that has not be altered from the past.

Current Human Impacts

The Serengeti is the most developed park in Tanzania. Due to the large amount of wildlife, the park’s tourism is becoming more prevalent in the ecosystem. Tourism in national parks such as the Serengeti is an economic benefit to the Tanzanian government; indicating that changes in the ecosystem will occur to accommodate the demands of tourism. The influx of visitors creates a chain effect because more and more safari jeeps, roads and ranger posts will be needed within the national park. Along with changes in the landscape, more rangers and employees are hired to accommodate the increasing amount of tourists. While the overall park is preserved due to its status as a national park, the increasing profits from tourism may slowly alter the ecosystem. Simultaneously, poaching and illegal hunting from the locals has a big impact on the ecosystem. The extensive hunting of buffalo in 1977 has made it difficult for the buffalo to recovering to their original numbers. Illegal hunting also has its benefits, as many people are willing to buy these dead animals on the black market. Elephants face hunting for the demand of their tusks. Humans indirectly affect the Serengeti because many locals have disease carrying dogs that affect the wildlife.

While tourism may have negative effects on the ecosystem, tourists visiting for the safari wildlife experience also has positive effects on preserving the national park. Tourism generates 8.5 million U.S. dollars, illustrating that tourism has become a large part of Tanzania’s economy. The profit from entrance fees and safari services fund management of the park, but also provides funds to create new parks in other parts of Tanzania. The industry also creates jobs, further enhancing local societies. Since tourism is such a large facet in the Tanzanian economy, wildlife is necessary to continue generating profits. This encourages the local communities to preserve the area and to keep the ecosystem from cultivation or alterations.

Future Prospects

The Tanzanian government is willing to construct a road through the middle of the Serengeti national park. This road would provide better transportation and link remote communities to improve economic development, but ultimately creates immediate effects on the ecosystem within the national park. Building a road would then bring more than just tourists into the national park, and diminish the boundaries set between the public and the wildlife. While tourism does slightly contribute to changing the natural environment in the Serengeti ecosystem, tourism also protects to keep the Serengeti as a national park. However, alternatives have been proposed for the road that might be built through the center of the Serengeti that may actually have more economic benefits compared to the first road planned.

The national parks in Africa are some of the scarcest places on the globe that are unaffected by the advancements in technology. Therefore, the tourism industry will continue to grow as the world becomes more and more advanced. However, preserving areas such as the Serengeti will become of more importance to the global community as other areas may disappear. Therefore, tourism will also be an outlet for more awareness and the importance of preservation.

Improvements That Can Be Made by Humans

Savanna’s today are currently being turned into rangeland to raise domesticated animals such as cattle. However, preserving the ecosystem is what brings tourism to the Serengeti, so in order to keep visitors and generate revenue, more land can be preserved rather than being turned into domesticated areas. Ecotourism is a possible solution to preserve the area.

Ecotourism concentrates on promoting conservation, improving local communities and enriching intrinsic understanding. This method of tourism strives to reduce human impacts while increasing awareness of the environment and local cultures and communities; both of which are crucial for preservation in the long term. It also propagates financial benefits for conservation of the environment. Therefore, ecotourism also gives reason to enforce poaching laws and protect the wildlife within the park. Rather than poaching, the national park generates revenue from visitors as well as creates jobs for locals, reducing the need to hunt. Revenue generated also can be used to preserve the park and create more as stated in the human impact section. Ecotourism emphasizes less interference with the ecosystem is the best way to preserve the park for as long as possible. The Serengeti ecosystem is constantly changing and therefore attempting to maintain its current status will end up hindering and harming the park. Preservation and the future of the ecosystem will only improve if conservation authorities accommodate these natural modifications the ecosystem constantly experiences. Ultimately, the best form of preservation is allowing the ecosystem to undergo these natural processes.