Why was the impact of white settlement on Maasai pastoralists deep?

Correct answer: Because settlers occupied useful and fertile grazing land

The direct answer is A: settlers occupied useful and fertile grazing land, so the effect on Maasai pastoralists was especially deep. Pastoral economies depend not simply on land area but on access to water, grass and good seasonal pasture. Step by step: settlers claimed productive land; pastoralists lost important grazing routes and water access; herds had less food and fewer safe places to move; livestock health, milk supply, wealth and security declined. A is correct because it identifies the loss of high-value land. B is wrong because settlers did not return all pastures. C is wrong because settlement occurred on land, not only in the sea. D is wrong because losing land increased, rather than ended, the need for livestock. Memory cue: loss of good land hurts more than loss of equal-sized poor land.