Multi-species ethnography is a valuable qualitative methodology for revealing the mutual, iterative influences of animals, plants and people on one another, as each responds to environmental change. Through these entanglements, we can track how trajectories of adaptation unfold. This study…
BIO-CULTURAL CONSERVATION ON THE COAST! We are starting a new project, funded by NOAA and Georgia Sea Grant, investigating sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia sericea) and other plant species of cultural and ecological importance to Gullah Geechee people and Georgia’s maritime ecosystems. The…
This synthesis of trends in livelihood adaptation in a Kenyan pastoralist community focused on two themes, which interact to influence governance of common pool resources: (1) the broader phenomenon of commodity frontiers, and (2) social cohesion within communities. Gabriele Volpato,…
These two papers are stellar examples of Ryan’s discipline-linking dissertation research. Congratulations, Ryan! Unks, R., E. G. King, L. A. German, N. P. Wachira and D. R. Nelson 2019. Unevenness in scale mismatches: institutional change, pastoralist livelihoods, and herding ecology…
A two day celebration event held in January 2018 commemorated the 50 years since Eugene Odum founded the Institute of Ecology at UGA, and the 10 year anniversary of the Odum School of Ecology. The event hosted Alumni keynote speakers…
When households practicing small-scale livelihoods such as pastoralism experience increasing hardships due to environmental change, adopting a new livelihood strategy is often promoted as a way to regain food security and reduce vulnerability. However, livelihood adaptation is a complex process,…
Drylands cover 40% of the continent of Africa, and are the basis for traditional pastoralist social-ecological systems, in which societies have adapted to rely heavily or entirely on livestock production for their livelihoods in harsh and variable environments. Modernity has…
This project evolved as a partnership with Eva Kaye-Zwiebel, to further analyze her dissertation research findings through the lens of social capital and ecosystem services. The resulting manuscript argues that neighboring communities express different perceptions of ecosystem services and also…
This interesting synthesis of transcendental factors that can be “deal-makers and deal-breakers” for pastoralist sustainability is now off the back burner and getting properly cooked and seasoned to be served up to the public quite soon!