Soil Factors Affecting the Distribution of the Grassland Types and their Utilization

Abstract

The world's greatest remaining concentrations of mixed plains wildlife are found in the region of the Serengeti Plains in northern Tanganyika. The various types of grassland on the plains and the associated patterns of use by the wild ungulates have long been of concern to those involved with wildlife research and conservation, and with management of the Serengeti National Park and environs (Brooks 1961; Grzimek & Grzimek 1960; Pearsall 1957; Talbot 1956; Talbot & Talbot 1963a; Tanganyika Government 1957). Climate, grazing, burning, and soil factors have been suggested as contributory to the distribution of grassland types on the plains. Clearly, each of these factors has played some part in the formation of the present grassland patterns, and soil factors reflecting the geology, topography, climate, and time of weathering are of basic importance. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the principal soil factors which relate to the distribution of the grassland types and their utilization by wildlife.