Why could confining the Maasai to limited areas increase the risk of overgrazing?

Correct answer: Because more animals grazed for longer on less land

The direct answer is A: more animals grazed for longer on less land. Overgrazing happens when the number of animals or the length of grazing exceeds the pasture's ability to recover. Pastoralists traditionally reduce this pressure by moving herds between seasonal grazing areas. If authorities confine them to a small region, many animals may remain there for longer periods. Grass is eaten faster than it regrows, and repeated grazing can weaken vegetation and soil. Option A is correct because it gives the complete cause: concentrated animals, limited land and prolonged use. Option B is wrong because the area did not become unlimited; it became restricted. Option C is wrong because animals did not stop eating grass; continued grazing caused the pressure. Option D is wrong because a limited area does not always receive more rain, and rainfall is uncertain. The reasoning is an ecological chain: less space, more concentration, less recovery time, overgrazing risk. Memory cue: fewer pastures plus the same herd equals greater grazing pressure.