Research Starter Grant: Understanding savanna vegetation dynamics in East Africa under different off-take methods and precipitation regimes

了解不同采伐方法和降水制度下东非稀树草原植被动态稀树草原植被占东非陆地总面积的很大比例，稀树草原对数百万畜牧牧民和野生动物的可持续性至关重要。热带稀树草原植被动态背后的生态过程是水分、养分、火和草食相互作用的结果。本研究的目的是依靠实地实验研究，结合更多的现实条件，以更好地了解热带稀树草原的植被动态，特别是营养摄取方法对再生的影响。调查将利用在东非塞伦盖蒂-马拉生态系统内跨越降水梯度的围栏进行实验性处理。该项目将提供关于稀树大草原如何在后代受到影响的新知识，并解决这些变化对人类、景观和野生动物可持续性的影响。这项研究将对保护和发展政策产生直接影响，有助于产生新的知识和制定更充分考虑到影响稀树草原的现实世界条件的政策。该项目将通过培训当地马赛人进行生态监测和评价，加强代表性不足群体的参与。该项目还将使密歇根大学和内罗毕大学的本科生受益，他们将参加一年一度的海外学习活动，了解东非大草原保护和发展战略的生态层面。

Understanding savanna vegetation dynamics in East Africa under different off-take methods and precipitation regimesSavanna vegetation comprises a large percentage of the total land surface area in East Africa and savannas are important for the sustainability of millions of livestock keeping pastoralists and wildlife. The ecological processes underlying the dynamics of savanna vegetation are the result of interactions between moisture, nutrients, fire and herbivory. The objective of this research is to rely on experimental field studies, which incorporate more real-world conditions, in order to better understand vegetation dynamics of savannas, specifically, how the method of vegetative off-take matters for regrowth. The investigation will utilize experimental treatments through enclosures across a precipitation gradient within the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem of East Africa. This project will contribute new knowledge on how savannas might be impacted in future generations and addresses the implications of these changes for the sustainability of people, landscapes and wildlife. This research will have a direct bearing on conservation and development policies, contributing to new knowledge and the development of policies which more fully consider the real world conditions affecting savannas. The project will enhance the participation of underrepresented groups by training local Maasai peoples in ecological monitoring and evaluation. The project will also benefit undergraduate students from the University of Michigan and the University of Nairobi who will be part of a yearly study abroad effort to understand the ecological dimensions of conservation and development strategies in East African savannas.