This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.
The research and training plan is entitled "Pastoralism, cattle mobility patterns, and ecological dynamics at the micro-scale in southern Kenya." This research examines the relationship between cattle mobility of pastoralists and dynamic ecological processes in savanna rangelands. It is theoretically grounded in non-equilibrium rangeland ecology and the application of state and transition models to characterize ecological variability and test the hypothesis that pastoral livestock mobility and grazing patterns at the micro-scale are a function of short-term fluctuations in ecological conditions. This study stems from deficiencies within the literature on pastoral livestock mobility and ecological variability at fine scales of space and time. The sponsoring scientist is Matthew D. Turner at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
The training plan promises to provide practical field and laboratory experience in conducting and analyzing ecological indicators, especially soil and vegetation attributes. Additionally, training will involve finding new and innovative ways of linking these data with indigenous pastoral knowledge and cattle mobility patterns derived from global positioning system (GPS) units. Collaborations with scientists and indigenous pastoralists in Kenya provide an opportunity to study the complex interactions between pastoralists, livestock, and rangeland environments.
