Elizabeth G. King, Ph.D.

Interests: 

My main research interests revolve around semi-arid ecosystems and traditional pastoralist societies that rely upon them.   My doctoral research (Population Biology, UC Davis) was in the field of restoration ecology, and examined the utility of planting native aloe shrubs into degraded Kenyan rangelands to promote vegetation recovery.   Since then, I have continued to work on community-based rangeland restoration projects in Kenya.  I am also keenly interested in the social and policy sides of land degradation, land tenure, and pastoralist sustainability.  

As a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer with the Water in Africa Project of the Princeton Environmental Institute, I am collaborating with faculty and graduate students on projects ranging from ecohydrology, to landscape-herbivore interactions, to human ecology and resource management.  Our research is largely baesd on communally-owned group ranches in northern Laikipia District, Kenya.  We also work at the nearby Mpala Research Centre.  The region is home to the Laikipia Maasai people, lots of charismatic megafauna, and stunning landscapes. 

Research:

Resilience vs. Regime Shifts in Degraded Kenyan Drylands