How was increased pressure on remaining pastures an indirect environmental result of colonial policy?

Correct answer: Many grazing areas were closed or cultivated, so herds were squeezed into fewer areas

Pastoral herds normally need access to different grazing areas so that pressure on grassland can be spread over time and space. Colonial policies often closed forests, restricted customary routes, or converted grazing land into fields and other uses. As a result, the total area available for grazing became smaller. Herds and pastoral families were then forced to use the remaining pastures more frequently, creating heavier pressure on grass and soil.

Option A is correct because it describes both parts of the chain: policy reduced available grazing land, and herds became concentrated in fewer places. This can lead to overgrazing and environmental stress. The other options reverse the likely effect or make an impossible claim. All pastures did not expand, animals did not stop grazing, and forest closure did not open every direction. The environmental effect was indirect but significant.