Roads as a Threat to the Serengeti Ecosystem

In an opinion letter??to Nature (September 2010), Dobson et al. (2010) oppose the planned road through northern Tanzania that crosses Serengeti National Park (SNP). They contend that the road will jeopardize the Serengeti ecosystem by interrupting the wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) migratory corridor. This opinion is supported by other scientists using mathematical models (Holdo et al. 2011). However, all arguments presented against the project have been questioned (Homewood et al. 2010). As has often been the case in the conservation of African natural resources, some scientists present views that do not account for other key components of conservation: economic growth, reduction of poverty, improvement of quality of life, and social well-being. As scientists working in Serengeti, we believe that the published reports about the Serengeti road mislead the world about its potential effects on the ecosystem.