Maggie Liebich ’23
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Impact of Grazing Regimes on Rangeland Quality and Wildlife and Livestock Use
I studied the responses of Grévy’s and plains zebras to different cattle grazing patterns at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia County, Kenya, where pastoralism is an important part of the economy. Understanding the impacts of cattle on wildlife is necessary for sustainable development and the coexistence of humans and wildlife. Using the mapping software QGIS, I modeled the movement of cattle, plains zebras and Grévy’s zebras. The animal data was recorded by researchers in Kenya and logged in a program called Wildbook, which tracks repeated sightings of individual zebras. I focused on the impact of grazing on vegetation quality using the normalized difference vegetation index, which allowed me to understand how vegetation changed and recovered in response to cattle movement. I gained a lot of valuable experience in using QGIS and I enjoyed being able to work with Professor Rubenstein on studying zebra movement. Through this internship, I learned how rewarding it is to focus on and understand a specific ecological concept. I plan to continue working with Professor Rubenstein on these projects and study sustainable agriculture further.
2020
Biodiversity and Conservation
Rubenstein Group, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Mpala Research Centre
Daniel Rubenstein, Class of 1877 Professor of Zoology, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Andrew Gersick, Associate Research Scholar, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology