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Dissertation Proposal Presentation: Hervé Roland Memiaghe (“Human-Wildlife Coexistence: Assessing the potential for the coexistence of villagers’ farming and forest elephant conservation in Lopé National Park, Gabon”)

Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 9:00am to 10:00am

Lawrence Hall, 231
1190 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR

Hervé Roland Memiaghe will be presenting his PhD dissertation proposal to the public:

“Human-Wildlife Coexistence: Assessing the potential for the coexistence of villagers’ farming and forest elephant conservation in Lopé National Park, Gabon”  

 

Abstract

In many parts of Africa, elephant crop depredation threatens both villagers’ farming and elephant conservation efforts. Crop loss can be devastating to villagers because local crops are their primary food and income sources. In the long run, the continued conflict could lead to a further rural exodus. At the same time, villagers cannot hunt elephants because some African countries, like Gabon, fully protect the remaining elephant populations. These complex circumstances require multiple forms of knowledge and a variety of perspectives to investigate the conditions that could support human-elephant coexistence. In this study, I will investigate forest elephants’ Crop Depredation Incidents (CDIs) in relation to natural resource availability by synthesizing three forms of knowledge: community-based, expert-based, and scientific-based. In this research, I will employ semi-structured interviews and a triangulation strategy to investigate how the spatial distribution and temporal variation of natural resources and crops influence CDIs. The results will be used to develop a proposal for landscape interventions that support both crop protection and forest elephant conservation. I will conduct this project at Lopé National Park, Gabon, with a focus on two nearby villages impacted by forest elephant (Loxodonta africanacyclotis) crop depredation. I will engage villagers, park employees, conservationists, and researchers to draw upon their knowledge.