Early national park adoption in sub‐Saharan Africa

Abstract

It is widely supposed that national parks were invented with Yellowstone National Park in 1872, from whence they have diffused around the world. Adoption of parks within Africa can be better understood and traced by considering the original motivations regarding reserve establishment. Historical patterns of national park and reserve adoption in Africa's biogeographic regions are analyzed. Results suggest that parks were adopted early in southern Africa; the phenomenon then spread rapidly through much of sub‐Saharan Africa, and has more recently and slowly been applied to Africa's less accessible or economically desirable arid and mountainous regions. The earliest preservation activities were oriented toward watershed protection and erosion control in fynbos areas. The game reserve orientation of some parks originated later.

Keywords:

• Africa
• diffusion
• fynbos
• national parks
• preservation