Research project
Seeds of Conflict: Invasive alien plants driving human-wildlife conflict
How do invasive alien plants influence human–wildlife conflict in the Greater Serengeti Mara Ecosystem, and what ecological and social factors shape this relationship?
- Duration
- 2026 - 2027
- Contact
- Emily Strange
- Funding
- Kiem grant (Leiden University)
Invasive alien plants are increasingly transforming the grasslands of the Greater Serengeti Mara Ecosystem in Tanzania and Kenya, threatening biodiversity, livestock production, and local livelihoods. Communities report that these invasions may also increase human–wildlife conflict by creating dense vegetation that provides cover for wildlife and limits safe access to grazing lands, water, and schools. However, these links have never been systematically studied.
This interdisciplinary project brings together researchers from Leiden University College and the Institute of Environmental Sciences to investigate how invasive plants affect both ecosystems and communities. Combining ecological and social science approaches, the project will explore the relationship between plant invasions, resource scarcity, and human–wildlife conflict. The research will generate pilot data, strengthen collaboration across Leiden University, and provide a foundation for future student projects, research funding, and evidence-based management strategies that benefit people, livestock, and wildlife.
Goal of the project
Our goal is to generate evidence on the links between invasive alien plants, resource availability, and human–wildlife conflict to support sustainable management strategies in the Greater Serengeti Mara Ecosystem. By combining ecological and social science perspectives, the project seeks to improve understanding of how invasive plants affect both ecosystems and livelihoods, and to identify pathways for coexistence between people and wildlife.
Interdisciplinary approach
Addressing this challenge requires both ecological and social perspectives.
Researchers from the Institute of Environmental Sciences investigate how invasive plants spread through landscapes and affect biodiversity, grassland quality, and wildlife habitats.
Researchers from Leiden University College examine how local communities experience these changes, how they respond to human–wildlife conflict, and how governance, knowledge, and resource management shape potential solutions.
Together, these perspectives help us understand not only how invasive plants transform ecosystems, but also how these environmental changes affect people and their livelihoods.