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Development of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) in southern Africa depends, among other, on the ability of stakeholders to find practical and sustainable solutions for wildlife‐livestock integration in the conservation landscape. Due to the presence of buffalo Syncerus caffer in most of the TFCAs in southern Africa, foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) has to be controlled in susceptible livestock species sharing the rangelands with wildlife. Conventional FMD control measures act as an additional burden on communal livestock producers and may hamper rural development and wildlife‐livestock integration even further. However, commodity‐based trade in the form of an integrated approach to the control of both food safety and disease risk along the entire beef value chain has been proposed as a more favourable alternative for ensuring market access for beef produced at the wildlife‐livestock interface. Such a non‐geographic based approach could allow for trade to continue despite high risk of FMD if appropriate disease risk and food safety measures are implemented by farmers and subsequent role players along the value chain and hence, could promote greater wildlife‐livestock compatibility. / The objective of the present study was to analyse beef production, health and trade systems of farmers at the wildlife‐livestock interface within foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) protection zones in order to identify challenges, risks and limitations that may limit compliance with proposed commodity‐based trade prerequisites as well as value chain participation. Based on the findings of this study a holistic, integrated approach is proposed at the village level that could be implemented to serve as an incentive for equitable participation by farmers whilst 1) addressing the risks and limitations of a farming system, 2) ensuring greater wildlife‐livestock compatibility, and 3) promote consistent market access by fulfilling the requirements of an integrated value chain approach based on commodity‐based trade standards. / A farming systems approach was used to investigate beef production, health and trade systems in FMD protection zones mainly within the Zambezi Region (ZR) of Namibia, which is situated within the KAZA TFCA (Kavango‐Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area), but also the Mnisi study area (MSA) in South Africa adjacent to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA). A combined qualitative and quantitative approach was used to assess and describe farmers’ perceptions in selected study areas about beef production, trade, and wildlife conservation. Secondary data obtained from state veterinary services, the Meatco abattoir in Katima Mulilo, as well as previous studies were analysed and modelled to describe spatial‐temporal trends in trade as well as cattle distribution in relation to resource availability. / The results indicate that beef production systems in some of the most remote areas of the ZR as well as in the MSA resemble a typical low‐input low‐output production system, mainly due to the high level of risk farmers had to cope with and the limited opportunity to offset losses. The major challenges within livestock farming in all the areas studied were animal diseases, grazing competition, predation, stock theft and contact with wildlife, although the importance of each varied between study areas. Herd size effect in the MSA significantly explained the variation in attitude towards trade, production and management of cattle between farmers with below average and farmers with above average herd sizes. In the MSA, home slaughter contributed significantly more to direct household food security in households with larger herd sizes than in households with smaller herd sizes, and in the ZR farmers with smaller herd sizes were discouraged from participation in formal trade. / The attitudes and perceptions of farmers In the ZR towards wildlife and conservation often varied between survey areas as a consequence of the variation in the geophysical properties of the landscape, proximity to conservation areas, as well as the form of the interface with conservation areas. The perceived spatial‐temporal movement of buffalo varied between survey areas in the ZR. However, the frequency and nature of buffalo‐cattle interaction was generally high and intimate. Most farmers associated buffalo with risk of disease, especially FMD, but some were more concerned about grazing competition and the negative effect on husbandry practises. Farmers readily deployed traditional risk mitigation tactics in the form of kraaling at night and herding at day to control the movement of their animals and to reduce risks. Herding was found to be a potential strategy to specifically mitigate cattlebuffalo contact despite the lack of evidence that an overall strategic approach to herding exist. Although the majority of farmers in the ZR were in favour of conservation and its benefits, the negative impact of increasing wildlife numbers on farmers’ attitudes was an indication that the generally positive sentiment was changing and may in future deter conservation efforts. / Indications are that the cattle population in the ZR at its estimated density and distribution had reached the ecological capacity of the natural resource base in the ZR and animal performance and survival was therefore subjected to increased variability in resource availability linked to climate change. The cattle population’s existence at ecological capacity and the inability of farmers to offset the loss of condition in the dry season with supplementary feed were reflected in the changes in carcass quality and grades across seasons. However, there was sufficient forage produced in the ZR to sustain animal performance to some extent throughout the year, but those areas with surplus forage existed beyond the assumed grazing range around villages and perennial rivers where most cattle and wildlife concentrate. The future ability of farmers to access such underutilised grazing resources in order to strategically counter the negative consequences of climate change and growing wildlife numbers could be an important coping and risk management mechanism linked to commodity‐based trade and sustained animal quality. / Regular FMD outbreaks had a significant impact on the consistency with which the Meatco abattoir in the ZR operated between the years 2007‐2011, with negative consequences to both farmers and the abattoir itself. It was found that the formal trade system in the ZR discriminated against farmers with below average herd sizes, and that the disposition held by farmers with smaller herd sizes are most significant in areas further than approximately 55km away from quarantine camps. Vegetation type and possible contact with buffalo or previous FMD outbreaks in the area did not significantly affect market participation nor off‐take rates at a crush‐pen level in the ZR. The negative effect that distance from a quarantine station had on formal off‐take rate and the level of sales to Meatco at crush‐pen level, was the most significant in the winter months and crush‐pens situated beyond 55km from a quarantine station. The results indicate that the trade range of the Meatco abattoir was less than its trade threshold which contributed to its struggle to sustain throughput and profitability. / Finally the loss of income farmers experienced in both the ZR and the MSA during simultaneous FMD outbreaks in the year 2012 was quantified, as well as the impact it had on livelihoods in the ZR. A commodity‐based trade approach may have reduced the impact on farmers’ income significantly. However, we farmers are unable to comply with the proposed requirements for mitigating risk and ensuring food safety and quality in such communal systems in the absence of interventions to build the necessary capacity and awareness. It is recommended that at the wildlife‐livestock interface such as those investigated in this study, an integrated value chain approach to trade could serve as a catalyst to incentivise and enable farmer participation in holistic, integrated rangeland and livestock management practises that will promote conservation and rural development. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / The Institute for Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium / University of Pretoria / National Research Foundation of South Africa / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / PhD / Unrestricted

<p>  </p> <p>The role of trust and risk tolerance has received renewed attention in the field of environmental conservation and management as scholars are increasingly interested in integrating various social, economic, political, cultural, and psychological understandings, concepts, and theories into environmental conservation and natural resource management. This dissertation has two foci. The first focus is on examining the role of trust in the development and maintenance of collaborative environmental conservation programs and factors influencing trust (Chapters 2 and 3) and the second focus is on examining drivers of risk tolerance in the context of human-wildlife conflict (Chapter 4). Specifically, Chapter 2 focuses on the development and maintenance of NGO-municipal collaborations in an incentive-based environmental conservation program in Bolivia, where an NGO coordinated with four municipal governments in the initiation and implementation of the Watershared program. With a particular focus on the role of trust, I examined how municipal and NGO staff interact to negotiate, fund, and develop Watershared, their motivations to initiate such partnerships, factors that influence the maintenance of such partnerships, and how staff within these organizations envision their future collaborations. I collected and analyzed data from 15 semi-structured interviews with municipal decision makers and conservation practitioners in the implementing NGO and data from participant observation of several Watershared events and NGO meetings, utilizing an integrated Institutional Analysis Design (IAD) framework. My results suggest that trust and interpersonal relationships built upon shared values and goals and the program history in the region were important factors shaping NGO-municipal collaborations. At the same time, my results show that the NGO and municipal partners had different visions of the future of the program, particularly who would be responsible for program funding and implementation, and different organizational capacities that may influence their abilities to maintain their collaborations over time. Together, these results demonstrate the importance of understanding local dynamics in developing and maintaining NGO-municipal collaborations, particularly the role of adaptability and interpersonal relationships and the challenges related to goal misalignments over time. In Chapter 3, I investigated trust of Watershared participants and non-participants towards various organizations and the collaborating partners of Watershared, particularly the forms of trust present and the factors influencing their trust. By collecting and analyzing data from 1,030 household surveys of Watershared participants and non-participants in 72 communities in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, my results suggest that factors influencing trust in NGOs vs municipal governments differed even as the type of trust held in both entities was the same. Specifically, that community embeddedness and program participation significantly influenced trust in NGOs while perceived fairness and equality within communities and experience of political instability influence program participants’ trust in local municipalities. Overall, these results demonstrate the utility of a multi-level trust lens in developing informed understandings of trust across organizations while highlighting opportunities for natural resource professionals to enhance trust across organizations. Finally, Chapter 4 of my dissertation moved away from research in Bolivia to examine risk tolerance and trust in a different context due to my strong interest in human-wildlife conflict. Specifically, this chapter focuses on determining the factors that drive tolerance in livestock producer-black vulture conflicts in the midwestern United States. By collecting and analyzing data from 222 surveys of livestock producer in Indiana and Kentucky, I examined the economic, psychological, and social drivers of tolerance of black vultures. The results show that economic cost (e.g., livestock loss) was not a significant factor influencing risk tolerance; rather, wildlife value orientations such as utilitarian or mutualist beliefs, previous experience with black vultures, and intangible costs (i.e., emotions associated with wildlife) were significant drivers of tolerance. This chapter highlights the importance of incorporating non-economic factors in both understanding tolerance and developing policies and programs that reduce human-wildlife conflict. Overall, my dissertation examined trust, collaboration, and risk tolerance in two distinct contexts. Together, my results demonstrate the importance of integrating understandings of trust and risk tolerance with other economic, social, and psychological theories in developing a holistic approach to promoting collaborative natural resource management to address increasingly complex environmental conservation challenges.</p> <p>  </p>

Non-compliance with visitor regulations in national parks can have an impact on park conservation and the experience of other park visitors. Park management in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve located on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada is challenged by visitors’ non-compliant behaviour concerning regulations to keep dogs on the leash in the park. Dogs that run free (off-leash) on the beaches of the park disturb migratory shorebirds, and have the potential to habituate wolves to regard dogs as objects of prey. This study investigates why many visitors opt for non-compliance with regulations aimed at conservation. The goal of the study is to contribute new insights that may help park management find workable solutions to deliver the ‘dual mandate’ of managing protected areas both, for conservation and for nature-based tourism. The study is grounded within the context of Lefebvre’s (1991) notions of the production of space, and recent work in animal geography that addresses the changing role of our canine companions in modern society. The methodology combines qualitative and quantitative research applying Fishbein & Ajzen’s (2010) theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The research is presented using a journal format, which unavoidably implies some repetition of information but allows for the different sections to be read as stand-alone documents. The thesis starts with an introductory chapter. This is followed by a book chapter published in Domesticated Animals & Leisure (Carr, 2015 in press) that reports highlights from qualitative research exploring why park visitors appear reluctant to comply with on-leash rules. Results reveal the beach as a contested space, driven by a strong off-leash social norm. Chapter Three is a journal article format paper that reports on a quantitative survey based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to identify beliefs that underlie visitor behaviour. Results indicate that habit, with respect to dog leashing when at home and on previous visits to the park, appear to impact the ability of the model to predict future behaviour. Chapter Four is a second journal article format paper where it is suggested that ambivalence, the presence of conflicting behavioural beliefs, influences the relation between behavioural beliefs and attitudes in the TPB, resulting in non-compliance behaviour. A concluding chapter summarizes how results presented in the three main chapters contribute to the body of knowledge on animal geography, compliance and research using the TPB, as well as suggesting techniques that park staff should consider for managing visitor behaviour under situations of apparent non-compliance. / Graduate

Para avaliar a conservação das populações de bugio-ruivo no Distrito de Itapuã, Viamão/RS, entorno do Parque Estadual de Itapuã, foram realizados um levantamento de ocorrência da espécie, um levantamento dos conflitos existentes entre a população humana e os bugios, e um estudo de percepção ambiental para investigar o modo como a comunidade se relaciona com a espécie. Essas informações são relevantes para garantir a viabilidade futura das populações existentes no Parque. Constatou-se que o bugio-ruivo ainda está presente em 96,4% das quadrículas amostradas, sendo a cobertura florestal o principal fator responsável pela ocorrência da espécie. Ainda há uma relativa conectividade entre as áreas de mata, que possibilita a dispersão de indivíduos. Aparentemente, há uma metapopulação do tipo “população em manchas” no Distrito de Itapuã. O alto valor de ocorrência encontrado, pode estar indicando que o hábitat está sendo um recurso limitado. Apesar desse cenário positivo, ocorrem conflitos entre os bugios e a população humana que afetam a conservação da espécie, através de um aumento na mortalidade. Os principais tipos de conflito são “eletrocussão”, “ataque de cães” e “atropelamento”. São sugeridas ações visando minimizar esses conflitos e, possibilitar a convivência harmônica entre bugios e humanos. A população humana do Distrito de Itapuã possui uma visão bastante positiva sobre o bugio, sendo bastante tolerante à presença dessa espécie. Isso certamente afeta a conservação da espécie de uma maneira positiva. Também existe uma visão favorável, mas em menor intensidade, com relação ao Parque Estadual de Itapuã. Apesar de um certo desconhecimento, a importância da área é reconhecida pela comunidade. / To evaluate the conservation of the brown howler monkey in buffer zone of the Itapuã State Park were performed in the District of Itapuã, Viamão/RS, a survey of occurrence, a survey of the existing conflicts between humans and howler monkeys, and a study of environmental perception to investigate how the community relates to the species. This information is relevant to ensure the future viability of populations in Itapuã State Park. It was found that the brown howler monkey is still present in 96.4% of the quadrats sampled, and that the forest cover is the main factor for the occurrence of the species. There is still a relative connectivity between forested areas, which allows the dispersion of individuals. Apparently there is a metapopulation type "population patch" in the District of Itapuã. The high value of occurrence found in this study may be indicating that the habitat may be being a limited resource. Despite this positive scenario, conflicts occur between the howlers and the human population, and these conflicts may affect the conservation of the species through an increase in mortality. The main types of conflict are electrocution, attack dogs and road kill. Actions are suggested to minimize these conflicts and allow for peaceful coexistence between humans and apes. The human population of the District of Itapuã has a rather positive view on the monkey, and is quite tolerant to the presence of this species. This certainly affects the conservation of the species in a positive way. There is also a favorable view, but to a lesser degree, with respect to Itapuã State Park. Despite a certain unknown, the area's importance is recognized by the community.

Cette thèse examine les principaux déterminants des stratégies de subsistance des ménages ruraux. Elle cherche à comprendre comment ces stratégies impactent la déforestation à petite échelle et la conservation de la biodiversité suivant une approche paysagère. A partir d’une base de données unique obtenue grâce à une enquête en face-à-face auprès d’un échantillon représentatif de 1035 ménages dans le paysage transfrontalier de conservation du Trinational Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (Tridom-TCL)-Bassin du Congo, cette thèse vise à répondre à trois questions et s’organise en trois chapitres. Le premier chapitre analyse "comment les ménages autochtones et locaux formulent leurs préférences parmi les stratégies et moyens d’existence” à l’aide d’un model Probit autorégressif spatial. Le deuxième chapitre examine "comment et à quelle amplitude ces stratégies impactent la déforestation à petite échelle" à l’aide d’un modèle de décalage spatial. Compte tenu de la nature des interactions entre les ménages et de la faune, de leurs principales activités, le troisième chapitre examine "les préférences des ménages pour la conservation des éléphants de forêt” à l’aide des modèles à variable qualitatives limitées.Les actifs financiers (transfert d’argent et emprunts), la distance au marché, les dommages résultant des conflits homme-éléphant et l’ethnicité, plus précisément, l’autochtonie comptent parmi les facteurs déterminants des choix de stratégies de subsistance des ménages ruraux dans le Tridom-TCL. Nous montrons en outre que l’intensité de déforestation des ménages varie significativement en fonction de ces stratégies de subsistance. Par conséquent, les engagements en faveur de la réduction de la déforestation peuvent être favorisés par une bonne prise en compte des facteurs qui gouvernent les choix des modes de subsistance opérés par les ménages. Ils peuvent également être favorisés par la prise en compte les interactions entre ménages ainsi que leur localisation dans le paysage. En effet, nous trouvons qu’il existe des effets d’imitation, dans la décision de déforestation, entre les ménages d’un même voisinage, avec des effets spatiaux indirects susceptibles d’amplifier la déforestation à petite échelle.Les solutions transversales, aux trois questions abordées dans cette thèse, en faveur d’un paysage durable devraient viser l’optimisation des compromis entre les stratégies de subsistance des ménages, les forêts et/ou les habitats naturels de la faune. Les décideurs devraient, par exemple, procéder à l’intégration des corridors de mobilité de grands mammifères dont les éléphants de forêt, dans des zones à forte concentration de la faune et loin des espaces communautaires afin de réduire le risque de conflits hommes-faune. / This thesis investigates the key drivers of rural households’ choices of livelihoods, and how these choices impact forest clearing and biodiversity conservation under a landscape approach. Using a novel and unique database obtained from a face-to-face survey with a representative sample of 1035 households in the Dja-Odzala-Minkébé trinational transboundary conservation landscape (Tridom-TCL)- Congo basin , this PhD thesis address three main questions investigated in three chapters. Using a spatial probit model, the first chapter investigates “how do local and indigenous households formulate their preferences among livelihoods strategies?” Using a spatial lag model, the second chapter investigates “how and how much do these livelihoods strategies, given wildlife constrains such as human-wildlife conflicts, impact smallscale deforestation?” Using corner solution models, the third chapter investigates "how the nature of the interactions among households and wildlife, the households’ main activities as well as their land holdings impact their willingness to pay to prevent endangered forest elephant extinction?”Among other, we find that livelihoods strategies are determined by autochthonous status, financial assets (money transfer and access to loan), distance to market and larger crop losses resulting from human-wildlife conflicts. Further, we show that livelihoods strategies are important for deforestation. Therefore, the commitments to reducing small-scale deforestation may be favored by a good consideration of factors that drive households’ livelihoods strategies. We find out that spatial issues seem to be important. Proximity among households yields spatial shift effects and spatial spillover effects that are likely to amplify small-scale deforestation. We also argue that, cross-cutting solutions towards a sustainable landscape considering these three crucial issues involve optimizing trade-off between households’ livelihoods strategies, forest and the natural habitats of fauna. Therefore, the issues of community land security, of where natural habitat is needed and of how it should be managed are at the core of the problem. For example, decision-makers should proceed with the integration of large mammals mobility corridors far away from the community settlements in order to enhance zero-conflict-oriented elephant habitats; corridors should be consistently placed relatively to high elephant-concentration zones without crossing into zones with denser human populations.

Para avaliar a conservação das populações de bugio-ruivo no Distrito de Itapuã, Viamão/RS, entorno do Parque Estadual de Itapuã, foram realizados um levantamento de ocorrência da espécie, um levantamento dos conflitos existentes entre a população humana e os bugios, e um estudo de percepção ambiental para investigar o modo como a comunidade se relaciona com a espécie. Essas informações são relevantes para garantir a viabilidade futura das populações existentes no Parque. Constatou-se que o bugio-ruivo ainda está presente em 96,4% das quadrículas amostradas, sendo a cobertura florestal o principal fator responsável pela ocorrência da espécie. Ainda há uma relativa conectividade entre as áreas de mata, que possibilita a dispersão de indivíduos. Aparentemente, há uma metapopulação do tipo “população em manchas” no Distrito de Itapuã. O alto valor de ocorrência encontrado, pode estar indicando que o hábitat está sendo um recurso limitado. Apesar desse cenário positivo, ocorrem conflitos entre os bugios e a população humana que afetam a conservação da espécie, através de um aumento na mortalidade. Os principais tipos de conflito são “eletrocussão”, “ataque de cães” e “atropelamento”. São sugeridas ações visando minimizar esses conflitos e, possibilitar a convivência harmônica entre bugios e humanos. A população humana do Distrito de Itapuã possui uma visão bastante positiva sobre o bugio, sendo bastante tolerante à presença dessa espécie. Isso certamente afeta a conservação da espécie de uma maneira positiva. Também existe uma visão favorável, mas em menor intensidade, com relação ao Parque Estadual de Itapuã. Apesar de um certo desconhecimento, a importância da área é reconhecida pela comunidade. / To evaluate the conservation of the brown howler monkey in buffer zone of the Itapuã State Park were performed in the District of Itapuã, Viamão/RS, a survey of occurrence, a survey of the existing conflicts between humans and howler monkeys, and a study of environmental perception to investigate how the community relates to the species. This information is relevant to ensure the future viability of populations in Itapuã State Park. It was found that the brown howler monkey is still present in 96.4% of the quadrats sampled, and that the forest cover is the main factor for the occurrence of the species. There is still a relative connectivity between forested areas, which allows the dispersion of individuals. Apparently there is a metapopulation type "population patch" in the District of Itapuã. The high value of occurrence found in this study may be indicating that the habitat may be being a limited resource. Despite this positive scenario, conflicts occur between the howlers and the human population, and these conflicts may affect the conservation of the species through an increase in mortality. The main types of conflict are electrocution, attack dogs and road kill. Actions are suggested to minimize these conflicts and allow for peaceful coexistence between humans and apes. The human population of the District of Itapuã has a rather positive view on the monkey, and is quite tolerant to the presence of this species. This certainly affects the conservation of the species in a positive way. There is also a favorable view, but to a lesser degree, with respect to Itapuã State Park. Despite a certain unknown, the area's importance is recognized by the community.

Para avaliar a conservação das populações de bugio-ruivo no Distrito de Itapuã, Viamão/RS, entorno do Parque Estadual de Itapuã, foram realizados um levantamento de ocorrência da espécie, um levantamento dos conflitos existentes entre a população humana e os bugios, e um estudo de percepção ambiental para investigar o modo como a comunidade se relaciona com a espécie. Essas informações são relevantes para garantir a viabilidade futura das populações existentes no Parque. Constatou-se que o bugio-ruivo ainda está presente em 96,4% das quadrículas amostradas, sendo a cobertura florestal o principal fator responsável pela ocorrência da espécie. Ainda há uma relativa conectividade entre as áreas de mata, que possibilita a dispersão de indivíduos. Aparentemente, há uma metapopulação do tipo “população em manchas” no Distrito de Itapuã. O alto valor de ocorrência encontrado, pode estar indicando que o hábitat está sendo um recurso limitado. Apesar desse cenário positivo, ocorrem conflitos entre os bugios e a população humana que afetam a conservação da espécie, através de um aumento na mortalidade. Os principais tipos de conflito são “eletrocussão”, “ataque de cães” e “atropelamento”. São sugeridas ações visando minimizar esses conflitos e, possibilitar a convivência harmônica entre bugios e humanos. A população humana do Distrito de Itapuã possui uma visão bastante positiva sobre o bugio, sendo bastante tolerante à presença dessa espécie. Isso certamente afeta a conservação da espécie de uma maneira positiva. Também existe uma visão favorável, mas em menor intensidade, com relação ao Parque Estadual de Itapuã. Apesar de um certo desconhecimento, a importância da área é reconhecida pela comunidade. / To evaluate the conservation of the brown howler monkey in buffer zone of the Itapuã State Park were performed in the District of Itapuã, Viamão/RS, a survey of occurrence, a survey of the existing conflicts between humans and howler monkeys, and a study of environmental perception to investigate how the community relates to the species. This information is relevant to ensure the future viability of populations in Itapuã State Park. It was found that the brown howler monkey is still present in 96.4% of the quadrats sampled, and that the forest cover is the main factor for the occurrence of the species. There is still a relative connectivity between forested areas, which allows the dispersion of individuals. Apparently there is a metapopulation type "population patch" in the District of Itapuã. The high value of occurrence found in this study may be indicating that the habitat may be being a limited resource. Despite this positive scenario, conflicts occur between the howlers and the human population, and these conflicts may affect the conservation of the species through an increase in mortality. The main types of conflict are electrocution, attack dogs and road kill. Actions are suggested to minimize these conflicts and allow for peaceful coexistence between humans and apes. The human population of the District of Itapuã has a rather positive view on the monkey, and is quite tolerant to the presence of this species. This certainly affects the conservation of the species in a positive way. There is also a favorable view, but to a lesser degree, with respect to Itapuã State Park. Despite a certain unknown, the area's importance is recognized by the community.

Diese Dissertation, befasst sich mit Wechselwirkungen zwischen Weidevieh und Wildtieren und basiert auf der Hypothese, dass sich stark transformierte europäische Landschaften und weniger gestörte afrikanische Savannen gegenseitig als Referenz dienen können. Aufgrund von Parallelen in der Domestikationsgeschichte, fungieren europäische und afrikanische Hausrinder als theoretischer Rahmen. Die Daten wurden mittels Kamerafallen und Interviews in vier Fallstudien erhoben. Die Untersuchungsgebiete befinden sich in räumlicher Nähe zu Schutzgebieten in Deutschland (Nationalpark Unteres Odertal und Naturpark Westhavelland), Namibia (Etosha Nationalpark) und Tansania (Serengeti Nationalpark). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass bestimmte Praktiken des Weidemanagements in Deutschland Potential haben, die Nachhaltigkeit der Weidetierhaltung in Afrika zu erhöhen. In Afrika sind die Reaktionen der Wildtierzönosen auf verschiedene Weidesysteme stärker ausgeprägt als in Europa. Ein gemeinsames Phänomen in allen Fallstudien sind hohe Konflikte mit streng geschützten Wildarten. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Agrobiodiversität nur erfolgreich geschützt werden kann, wenn Managementstrategien den Anforderungen der Landwirte gerecht werden. Es gibt Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den Untersuchungsgebieten in Deutschland und privatem Farmland in Namibia. Sorgfältige Anpassungen an die standortspezifischen Bedingungen sind erforderlich wenn ein in Europa entwickeltes Weidesystem in Afrika praktiziert wird. Die Ergebnisse aus Tansania sind ein Indikator für die extreme Veränderung der Landschaft und ausgeprägte Mensch-Wildtier-Konflikte. Besonders dort, wo Rinder hohe kulturelle Bedeutung haben, ist es nötig, die Menschen für Nachhaltigkeit im Weidemanagement zu sensibilisieren. Traditionelle Praktiken des schwindenden Pastoralismus erscheinen vielversprechend um die Nachhaltigkeit der Weidehaltung auf kommunalem Land in Afrika zu erhöhen. / These comparative studies deal with the interactions between grazing cattle and wildlife. The thesis is based on the central hypothesis that strongly transformed European landscapes and less disturbed African savannas can provide each other a valuable reference. Due to parallels in the domestication history, European and African cattle function as theoretical framework of these studies. The data were collected via camera traps and interviews in four case studies. The study areas are in close vicinity to protected areas in Germany (Lower Oder Valley National Park and Westhavelland Nature Park), Namibia (Etosha National Park) and Tanzania (Serengeti National Park). The results show that certain practices of the pasture management in Germany have potential to increase the sustainability of livestock grazing in Africa. In Africa, the responses of the wildlife communities to different grazing systems are more pronounced than in Europe. A common phenomenon in all case studies is a high level of conflict with strictly protected wildlife species. The results suggest that agro-biodiversity can only be successfully protected if management strategies meet the requirements of farmers. There are several similarities between the study areas in Germany and private farmland in Namibia. Careful adaptation to the site-specific conditions is required when a grazing system developed in Europe is practiced in Africa. The results from Tanzania are an indicator of the extreme change in the landscape and pronounced human-wildlife conflicts. Especially where cattle are of high cultural value, it is necessary to sensitize people to sustainability in pasture management. Traditional practices of declining pastoralism appear promising to increase the sustainability of grazing on communal land in Africa.

Le monde rural gabonais est un espace en grande partie vidé de ses populations, soumis depuis longtemps aux pressions de l’exploitation forestière et, depuis une vingtaine d’années, à une politique de conservation très volontaire. Nous avons voulu étudier l’impact de ces pressions sur le monde rural contemporain en nous centrant plus particulièrement sur les aires de conservation. C’est dans la province de l’Ogooué-Ivindo, autour de trois parcs nationaux (Ivindo, Mwagné et Lopé), que nous avons examiné les activités de conservation, de production, les acteurs impliqués ainsi que les conflits qui en résultent. En dépit d’une histoire largement défavorable au monde rural, en dépit aussi de la mauvaise répartition des richesses, des infrastructures et des services, profitant presqu’exclusivement aux villes au détriment des zones rurales, et en dépit enfin de politiques de conservation très contraignantes pour les populations rurales, les villages continuent à exister – en grande partie grâce à la tradition. Les solutions proposées telles que l’attribution des forêts communautaires initiée récemment par l’état gabonais, peuvent-elles permettre de raviver les villages et de faire participer les populations rurales au processus de développement de leurs localités ? Au-delà de cette question, cette thèse permet d’engager des réflexions sur des actions possibles pour éviter l’extinction des villages gabonais. / Gabonese rural world is an area largely emptied of its populations, subjected for a long time to the pressures of the forestry development and, for about more than twenty years, to a very voluntary conservation policy. We have wanted to study the impact of these pressures on the contemporary rural world by focusing our work particularly on the conservation areas. It is in the province of Ogooué-Ivindo, around three national parks (Ivindo, Mwagné and Lopé) that we examined the activities of conservation and production, the actors involved as well as the conflicts which result from them. The history widely unfavorable to the rural world, the unequal distribution of wealth, infrastructures and services, benefiting almost exclusively the cities to the detriment of the rural areas and the conservation policies too binding for the rural populations have made it difficult for villages to survive. In despite of all this, they still exist - largely thanks to the local tradition. But, can possible solutions such as the attribution of community forests, introduced recently by the Gabonese state, bring villages back to life and make rural populations participate in the process of developing their localities? Beyond this question, this thesis seeks to initiate a process of reflection on possible actions to stop the extinction of the Gabonese villages.