Ten lessons for the conservation of African savannah ecosystems

Abstract

Knowledge of the success or otherwise of conservation interventions is often locked within localised networks, resulting in mistakes being replicated unnecessarily. The savannahs of eastern and southern Africa are home to spectacular ecosystems with similar ecology yet markedly different conservation practices between the two regions. Pressures on east African ecosystems are rising in ways similar to those of southern Africa several decades ago. Conservation practitioners and researchers from southern and eastern Africa came together for a 5-day workshop to identify by consensus a short list of 10 most important lessons for management of savannah habitats learnt from the southern experience. The lessons identified concerned (1) protected area design, (2) community relationships, (3) buffer zones, (4) the importance of migrations and corridors, (5) river catchment management, (6) law enforcement, (7) invasive plants, (8) road planning, (9) loss of heterogeneity, and (10) communication between researchers and practitioners. The lessons learnt from southern Africa can prevent many mistakes being made in east African protected area management, providing they are implemented on the ground.