Wildlife and Conservation Efforts in Africa

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The dynamic natural environment and abundant wildlife are the most prominent features of the African continent. Due to its wide variety of biomes ranging from tropical forests to arid deserts, Africa consists of bountiful wildlife diversity. However, because of environmentally harmful human interactions, the variety of biomes is shrinking to all-time lows, which causes wildlife to die out. These detrimental human interactions, particularly livestock overgrazing and desertification, occur partly because the native people who depend on the land for daily life do not realize the potential benefits of wildlife and the unsustainability of their current ways. Poaching for horns and other valuable animal parts has also contributed to the decreasing amount of species present in the wild. However, the methods for conserving the wildlife environment differ in how they address the issue of the dwindling wildlife populations. The conventional method of conservation created in the mold of the Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in their Natural State (also known as the London Convention) involves the complete centralization of wildlife resources to the government. The newer, more effective method called the Sustainable Use Approach makes drastic changes to the London Convention principles by decentralizing ownership of wildlife and allowing small communities and villages to manage it themselves.

Livestock grazing or herding is a human activity that has been taking place for thousands of years in Africa. Pastoral lifestyles emerged in Africa about nine thousand years ago with the arrival of domesticated herbivores like goats, sheep, and aurochs from Asia. Pastoralism thrived in its early stages in Africa because these ...

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...e value, protect the wild species. By creating this mutual relationship between the African people and their environment both sides can thrive.

References

Dregne, H. E. "DESERTIFICATION OF ARID LANDS." Physics of Dersertification (1986). Ciesin.columbia.edu. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

Child, Brian. “Physical Environment.” In-class Lecture. 16 Nov. 2013

Child, Brian. “The sustainable use approach could save South Africa’s rhinos.” S Afr J Sci. 2012; 108(7/8), Art.#1338, 4 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajs. 17 Nov. 2013

Child, Brian. “Wildlife, Environment, Agriculture.” In-class Lecture. 17 Nov. 2013

"Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in Their Natural State." The Faculty of Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

"Socio-economic Consequences of Desertification." Learning to Combat Desertification. Unesco. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

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