Frontier Tanzania Environmental Research - Frontier-publications ...

are leading to increased rates of environmental degradation and civil unrest, due toconflict over natural resources.The increasing levels of deforestation have all but closed important wildlife corridorsbetween the protected areas to the north and south, and habitat in unprotected areas isdwindling rapidly. The consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation in this areamay threaten endemic species with restricted ranges, lead to the loss of ecologicalniches resulting in local population extinctions, the loss of fauna with large homeranges, a loss in genetic variability within populations, and increased occurrence ofhuman-wildlife conflict (Berry et al., 2002; Githiru and Lens, 2007; Osborn andParker, 2003).However, with good resource management strategies and conservation policies itshould be possible to create conditions where the local communities can continue todevelop, but not at the expense of wildlife population and natural resources.3. Social Survey Work3.1 IntroductionSocial surveys were carried out within 25 villages in two Districts of the KilomberoValley. In total 375 people were interviewed, giving their opinions upon a wide range17