Corridors, Coexistence, Synergies, Transitions and Training: An integrated solution to advance a sustainable future for wildlife and people in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem

The Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem (GSME) is one of the largest and most important migratory ecosystems on the planet for terrestrial mammals and one of the last remaining and relatively intact ecosystems on the African continent. Because of the enormous spatial extent, biodiversity, “biomassality” and vitality of the system, the GSME also retains a full food web complexity with abundant large top predators and hosts diverse communities of plants, invertebrates, birds and reptiles that both support and are affected by the iconic large mammal abundance. The extraordinary natural beauty and abundance of wildlife in the region make the ecosystem a prime international tourism destination attracting visitors from around the world. The income from tourism supports local economies and people and the landscape is also used for substantial livestock production, also making conservation vital to the well being of communities in the region. The GMSE also provides a number of key ecosystem services which are critical to the long-term sustainability of wildlife, habitat and human settlement in the area. And, the region enjoys a high cultural diversity of people who profit from natural resources in characteristic ways such as the unique pastoral livelihoods of the Maasai.

General aims of the project:
1)better understand gaps in conservation knowledge in the GSME and identify weaknesses in the current approaches to conservation solutions being implemented in Kenya and Tanzania;
2)identify, analyze and better understand key landscape and ecosystem processes in the GSME in order to best address vulnerabilities to its future viability;
3)develop practical solutions for conservation challenges and ecological restoration at the landscape scale, by combining local knowledge with scientific research.
The work will be done using a combination of methods ranging from observatory and experimental field studies, remote sensing and modelling.

The project is funded by DOB Ecology, Ubbo Emmius Fund, Grumeti Fund and University of Groningen