Tropical Ecology

INA

Botswana

Contact:
Stein R. Moe



A previous PhD student at INA is now head of research in the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in the Chobe District. In that connection he has proposed a number of priority areas for research, and there are possibilities for MSc students to participate.

The topics include:

• Monitoring of borehole utilization, and vegetation change in the Nogatshaa and Savuti area - a repetition of studies conducted some 10 years ago to study vegetation changes.
  
• Distribution and abundance of forbs in Chobe national park and environments. Study area will be the Chobe National Park and surrounding Controlled Hunting areas. Most vegetation studies on distribution and abundance of plants have concentrated on grasses and trees. Although not much studied, forbs are also and important component of the ecosystem especially for browsing mesoherbivores during the wet season.
  
• Regeneration potential and factors affecting regeneration of trees on riparian woodland study area - Chobe and Linyanti Riverfronts
  
• Local wildlife management knowledge and beliefs in the Chobe District.
  

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Ethiopia - The role of exclosures in conserving biodiversity in the Ethiopian highlands

Contact:
Stein R. Moe


In areas around Mekelle University there is an extensive system of enclosed areas protected from agricultural and pastoralist activities. The main aim with these areas is conservation of soil and vegetation. The areas are also potentially important for local biodiversity. The focus of this topic is to study how these areas contribute to the diversity of certain groups of plants and animals, and how diversity and species dominance differ between pastoral areas and protected areas. UMB has a collaboration agreement with Mekelle, and students will be linked to this collaboration. Students may also apply for a small grant (NOK 5000) to be used for fieldwork.

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Uganda - Termites as soil improvers for agricultural production

Contact:
Stein R. Moe


It is well known that termites serve as an important ecological factor in many tropical ecosystems. Termites transport nutrients both vertically and horizontally and the mounds often function as nutrient rich hot spots in an otherwise nutrient poor landscape. Vegetation on Macrotermes (fungus growing termites) termite mounds is often different in species composition and the vegetation is more nutrient rich than surrounding vegetation. In some areas it has been shown that local farmers utilise termite mounds in increasing agricultural production, by growing crops adjacent to mounds, using mound soil as fertilizer or by livestock grazing. Many topics can be designed within this general framework. E.g. 1) In what context and to what extent are termite mounds used by farmers in Uganda? 2) Do livestock graze/browse selectively on termite mounds. 3) To what extent do termite mounds contribute to biodiversity in pastoral areas?

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Uganda - Livestock - Wildlife Interactions in Lake Mburo National Park

Contact:
Stein R. Moe


Preliminary studies have indicated that there are some positive interactions between livestock (primarily cattle) and wildlife in areas around L. Mburo National park. After removing people and livestock from L. Mburo National Park, it now seems like the woody vegetation is increasing in the park and that some of the wildlife is more common in the livestock impacted areas outside the park. Thus it seems like this may be an opportunity to study grazing facilitation in more detail. E.g. 1) Are high quality grass species more common outside the park than inside? 2) What is the difference in grass quality between areas under livestock and wildlife grazing compared to areas only grazed by wildlife? 3) What are the management implications?

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Uganda - Medicinal plants and ethnobotany

Contact:
Stein R. Moe


Identify plants important for subsistence livelihoods and for income generation, using standard ethnobotanical methods. Subsequently we will study the ecology and biology of the selected species. Information from the ecological studies can then be used in monitoring, management (including domestication) and conservation processes.

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Latin America

Contact:
Stein R. Moe


UMB have contact with the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) in Costa Rica. CATIE have expressed interest in exchanging students with UMB. It is possible to do MSc fieldwork with local supervisors in agro-forestry and biodiversity. Contact Stein R. Moe for project description.

1. Livelihood strategies in the livestock landscape in Central America comparing two socio-economic groups (medium and small scale). This topic will try to analyze the different strategies that farmers adopt as a function of their socio-economic circumstances. It is important to understand how these actors make decisions in managing their production systems (animals and others) and what are the constraints/limiting factors that they are confronted with. The project already has some general information about farmers in the three zones generated from the socio-economic survey that can be used as basis for identifying cases for further analysis. Case studies can be used in undertaking this research with the help of other participatory techniques. This research can be carried out in any of the three pilot areas in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
   
   
2. Local knowledge of plants (comprise of woody perennials, grasses, weeds, legumes, etc.) uses/functions in pasture lands. This study will try to document and understand local people’s perceptions of plants present in the paddocks. This will include local people’s plant classification system and management of these different species of plants. A number participatory research methods can be used in undertaking this research which include key informant interviewing, ranking and sorting and ethno-botanical transects. This research will be best to undertake in Guatemala since no studies have been done about this topic yet and an anthropologist who can give support to students is also based in Guatemala.
   
3. Comparative study of labor (family and hired) in the livestock production system. This study will characterize the workforce in the pilot area using comparative study (small and medium scale farmers). This will include analysis of relationships that exist between landowners and laborers and between hired laborers and family labor; the kind (specialized or otherwise) of work being undertaken by laborers, among others. Case studies can be used in this study that can be supported by interviews, observations, and other participatory techniques. This research can be carried out in any of the three pilot areas in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
   
4. Understanding gender roles (division of labor, access and control of resources) and responsibilities of each member of the household in small- and medium-size livestock systems. This study also includes change of gender division of labor as production system (from crops) changed to animal husbandry (access to resources: land, credit, capital; labor allocation). Informal interviews, participant observation, and time allocation are some of the key research methodologies that can be used in this study. To date, initial data collection has started but more data generation and analysis is needed. This research can be carried out in any of the three pilot areas in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
   
5. Analysis of informal networks (members of organizations, formal or non formal) in relation to pasture technology adoption. This study aims to understand the dynamics of informal network systems particularly in the adoption of improved pastures. The livestock extension services in the three pilot areas are very limited and sometimes even almost non-existent. The common medium for technology transfer for improved pastures is usually the commercial vendors. How farmers generate information, what type of information is being transferred, how it is being transferred (e.g. demonstration plots, market, informal chat) are important in understanding how improved pastures are adopted. Case studies and a number of interviews can be used in undertaking this research. The research sites in Honduras and Guatemala are the best places to do this research because there are many organizations which have tried to implement such technologies and there are also commercial vendors present in the pilot areas.
   
   
6. The influence of tree cover on productivity of pastures in the Pacific Region of Costa Rica. Recently there has been a lot of interest in promoting silvopastoral systems for increasing productivity and generation of environmental services. Preliminary studies showed that the optimum tree cover for productivity may be the limit for conservation of biodiversity and there is practically no study which demonstrates the impacts of increasing tree cover (above the optimum range) on pasture productivity, and this information is required to design policies for payment of environmental services. This study will consist in selecting areas with a range of tree covers and to quantify its impact on pasture productivity for selected pastures. This study is intended to be conducted in Costa Rica.
   
7. Bio-economic impact of tree cover on animal production systems based on tropical pastures. This study is similar to the one described above (6), but emphasis will be put on modeling the bio-economic impacts of changes in tree cover on animal production in silvopastoral systems. Some progress on this respect has been done in the Guatemala pilot zone of the CATIE/NORWAY-PD project; therefore preferably this thesis will be conducted in the project sites in Nicaragua and Honduras.
   
8. Modeling carbon stocks at a farm and landscape level. The CATIE/GEF-Silvopastoral Project which is being implemented in Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua is paying farmers for changes in land use systems which will enhance biodiversity and carbon sequestration. This work will use the CO₂ fix model to estimate the changes in carbon stocks with time due to payments for Environmental Services and model carbon at a landscape level. This study will be conducted in Costa Rica.
   
9. Evaluation of the impacts of land use changes on water resources. The CATIE/GEF-Silvopastoral project is currently developing a land use index for payment of environmental services for the conservation of water resources. This study will measure water parameters (e.g., infiltration rates, runoff, transpiration of water from trees) in representative land use systems > pastures, pastures with trees, fodder banks, secondary forest to determine which land use systems will be important for conservation of water resources and compatible with farm economy. This study will be conducted under the CATIE/GEF-Silvopastoral project in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but a similar study will also be carried out in the research site of the CATIE/NORWAY-PD project in Guatemala.
   
   
10. Perceptions of farmers about water resources. Largescale deforestation occurred for cattle ranching, and in many areas the production models adopted had negative impacts on the watersheds. Over the past 10 years farmers in Costa Rica has been implementing forest and silvopastoral systems for sustainable management and this study will evaluate farmers perceptions regarding their knowledge of the water sources (creeks, rivers, springs) in terms of resilience for recovery and flows. This study will be conducted under the CATIE/GEF-Silvopastoral project in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
    

WHO TO CONTACT?

For research under the CATIE/GEF-Silvopastoral Project:

Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, Silvopastoral Systems Specialist. Leader GAMMA Group.


For research topics under the CATIE/NORWAY –PD Project:

Dr.Maricel Piniero, Environmental Anthropologist, CATIE/NORWAY–PD Project.


Updated: 01.01.06
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