This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Nyeema Harris is "Impacts of predator losses on communities in a diverse African ecosystem." The host institution for this fellowship is University of California, Berkeley and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Justin Brashares.
Local extinctions of apex predators can lead to cascading effects throughout food chains and ecosystems. However, some communities are buffered against these trophic cascades because species can shift their diet, behavior, or distribution over time. Unfortunately, much of our knowledge about predator losses comes from diminished ecosystems in North America where trophic cascades and community compensation are difficult to detect. In contrast, many African ecosystems support a greater assemblage of predator and prey species and offer a rich research environment. This research uses a community viability framework to compare the numerical and behavioral responses of species at lower trophic levels across replicated areas with and without apex predators in West Africa. Focal apex predators include African lions (Panthera leo), leopards (Panthera pardus) and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Training objectives include enhancing technical skills in occupancy and niche modeling through the collection of data from observational surveys, stable isotope and scat analysis, and camera trapping efforts. Understanding which species interactions are more sensitive to changes in community composition informs the resilience and health of ecosystems. Broader impacts include the first estimates of distribution and density of many small mammal and mesopredator species in Ghana, thus building local capacity for carnivore conservation and apprising global patterns of species diversity. Collaborations with scientists at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Ghana add an international dimension. A citizen science component involves distributing disposable cameras to visitors to photograph wildlife inside the study areas.
