THE CONSERVATION OF AFRICAN PLAINS GAME 355 



much to be said for cropping the resistant natural bovid populations of these 

 areas to provide protein for the human population. 



This is not, however, a solution ayplicable to all Africa. Professor Pearsall 

 has described an area in East Africa with abundant game animals. In contrast, 

 West Africa, which I know personally, has far less game and mere conserva- 

 tion of the existing fauna, even if possible, would be far less productive. 

 Here, the correction of the severe protein deficiency must probably await 

 the solution of the trypanosomiasis problem. 



It is important to remember that game animals form the natural reservior 

 of the trypanosomes pathogenic to cattle. Different species of tsetse seem to 

 have different host preferences: various species of wild pig are widely fed on 

 by both East and West African flies, and bushbuck are also used as hosts in 

 both areas. Conversely, other common antelopes are apparantly rarely 

 bitten by tsetse, for no clear reason. 



T. B. Reynoldson: Is the population turnover rate of wild and 

 domestic stock comparable? Is it wise to use standing crops as a measure of 

 productivity? 



W. H. Pearsall : No other methods are available. 



R. J. H. Beverton: What possibihties might there be for producing 

 vegetable protein in these areas ? Professor Pearsall has dismissed the ground- 

 nuts scheme as not being the solution, but I beheve I am right in saying that 

 with a bit less bad luck the scheme might have been a resounding success. 

 With such an adverse conversion chain through cattle as is shown on the 

 board, might it not be that even a relatively inefficient and uncertain produc- 

 tion of vegetable protein, which would ehminate one stage entirely, would 

 be worth considering as complementary to animal protein production. 



W. H. Pearsall: Yes, but the real problem in this case is the instabihty 

 of the chmate. One year in five will bring a certain crop failure ; three in 

 five a balance, one in five a good crop. Cereals were tried in the war and 

 were a complete failure. There is no clear future agricultural use except the 

 replacement of bush carefully by trees or perennials of similar ecological 

 requirements. Bush, when rain falls, allows this to soak into the ground: 

 when bush is cleared, the runoff is vastly more rapid. It has been found that 

 land clearance is followed by the washing away of bridges which were 

 quite adequate when the land was under natural vegetation. The water thus 

 draining away is lost to the land. The modern pohcy of water conservation 

 is to get it into the land and keep it there. The answer therefore is a system 

 of agriculture which will keep the ground covered and allow water to soak 

 into the soil, yet be productive. In the Mediterranean the olive was one 

 solution: in East Africa no suitable plant is yet available. 

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