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Recap: NRM in Africa with Nyeema Harris

On Thursday August 24, Dr. Nyeema Harris gave a NRM in Africa presentation titled, “Socio-ecological Implications of Dynamics in the Conservation Estate.” Dr. Harris is an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan. Her talk touched on the two projects her lab, the Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab (AWE) at University of Michigan, is currently conducting in West Africa. The first project is based in Ghana, and focuses on protected areas located in regions reliant on agriculture, which has resulted in land conversion. This project attempts to address whether distinct small mammal communities are affected by land use inside and outside of protected areas or within their ecoregion. Research for this project is being conducted in Ankasa Conservation Area, Digya National Park, and Mole National Park in Ghana.


Her second project, titled the P4 Project, studies how Africa’s top predator (lions) interacts with their prey, parasites, and people in the WAP complex in West Africa. Multiple research teams working in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin conduct research for this project. The P4 Project aims to use camera traps to learn more about lions through capturing the activities of humans, wildlife, and domestic animals within the WAP complex. Since West African lion populations are experiencing population declines due to persecution, depletion of prey, and disease—Dr. Harris’s research attempts to better understand the threats faced by West African lion populations to meet conservation goals. Her lecture had multiple take-home messages: Protected areas coverage is not enough or likely to be sustainable in the future, there should be inclusive definitions of protected areas, the effectiveness of protected areas is based on conservation outcomes, the importance of attribution for forest cover changes should be recognized, and there should be guidance and engagement in protected area degazettement.

CAS News Bulletin: Week of September 1st, 2017