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A new road through northern Serengeti National Park is proposed to be built. The purpose of this study was to collect baseline data on soils along the route of the proposed road before its construction. The physicochemical properties were used to characterize the soil before the construction of the proposed road. Levels of soil macro-elements mainly potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na), and physicochemical properties: electrical conductivity (EC), pH, organic carbon (OC), soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), cation exchange capacity (CEC), phosphorus (P), aluminium (Al) were determined. Also, heavy metals: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) were analyzed. This study was done on the eastern (Ngorongoro District) and western (Serengeti District) segments of the proposed road. The ranges in average values obtained for the physicochemical parameters and metal concentrations in the soils were: 0.05–0.57 mS/m for EC, 6.5–7.9 for pH, 0.71–1.23% for OC, 0.30–0.74 g/kg for TN, 1.23–2.12% for SOM, 20.6–79.7 mg/kg for available P, 0.27–2.08 meq/100-g for available K, 9.89–30.3 meq/100-g for available Ca, 0.29–0.67 meq/100-g for available Mg, 0.06–1.35 meq/100-g for available Na, 11.04–33.12 meq/100-g for CEC, 46702.9–63963.3 mg/kg for Al, BDL for Cd, 24.70–101.55 mg/kg for Cr, 27.31–34.96 mg/kg for Cu, 32390.8–42439 mg/kg for Fe, 18.06–22.19 mg/kg for Pb, 957.1–1458.9 mg/kg for Mn, BDL for Hg, 20.24–32.52 mg/kg for Ni and 96.09–124.14 mg/kg for Zn. These observed levels indicate that the soils before road construction are unpolluted, moderately fertile and within the specifications of good agricultural soil. On the western segment of the proposed road, the soil will need application of fertilizers for better agricultural usage. Keywords: Physicochemical properties; soil quality; total nitrogen; macro-elements; heavy metals.

Climate change adaptation actions for mitigating desertification and improving community livelihood in developing countries have attracted numerous scholarly works. However, there have been insufficient findings on the adaptation regarding the eco-village practices in semi-arid areas in particular. This inspired a study to assess the role of eco-village practices in strengthening climate change adaptive capacity and mitigating desertification in semi-arid areas of Chololo village, Dodoma region in central Tanzania. Data were collected using mixed methods, that is, household survey (92), focus group discussions (21), key informants interviews (6), field observation and documentary review. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis were used in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data respectively. The study found a relatively high level of community awareness on the eco-village initiative; the initiative rehabilitated village forest reserve; improved land productivity for sorghum and pearl millet; increased number of planted trees; and strengthening communities’ adaptation to climate change through improved households’ nutrition, income and reduced water stress.

In 2002 Serengeti District Council entered an agreement with Singita Grumeti Reserve Limited to ban resident hunting by compensating the District Council TZS 460 million (USD 200,000) per annum. This study assessed the implications of the ban on communities’ livelihood and wildlife populations in the district. Up to 2011 about TZS 1.7 trillion (USD 727, 000) had been paid to the District Council. Findings reveal that communities were not involved in the decision and that the ban had mixed results on community livelihood. Communities mentioned provision of development infrastructures and students’ scholarship and increase of game species as benefits emanating from the ban. Denial to access game meat, increased destructive wildlife particularly elephants, misallocation of funds by the Council, increased food insecurity, and killings of people by wildlife were perceived as costs. The study concludes that the ban has significantly boosted the Council’s revenues and increased wildlife populations. However, communities have been denied their constitutional rights of hunting and access to cheap source of protein. Further, communities have witnessed increased human-elephant conflict and food insecurity. The study recommends involvement of communities in such major decisions affecting people’s livelihood and the need for research before implementing such a decision.