Savannas of Our Birth

People, Wildlife, and Change in East Africa

Robin Reid author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:University of California Press

Published:7th Sep '12

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Savannas of Our Birth cover

This book tells the sweeping story of the role that East African savannas played in human evolution, how people, livestock, and wildlife interact in the region today, and how these relationships might shift as the climate warms, the world globalizes, and human populations grow. Our ancient human ancestors were nurtured by African savannas, which today support pastoral people and the last remnants of great Pleistocene herds of large mammals. Why has this wildlife thrived best where they live side-by-side with humans? Ecologist Robin S. Reid delves into the evidence to find that herding is often compatible with wildlife, and that pastoral land use sometimes enriches savanna landscapes and encourages biodiversity. Her balanced, scientific, and accessible examination of the current state of the relationships among the region's wildlife and people holds critical lessons for the future of conservation around the world.

"A tremendous amount of personal experience and research has gone into this book..." -- Ian Martin Biological Conservation "Refreshing -- perhaps even inspiring ... Reid's inclusive analysis is one of the most comprehensive and well-balanced examinations of human-environment interactions in African savanna ecosystems ... an exceptional project." -- Eric J. Lovell and Mara J. Goldman Pastorialism

ISBN: 9780520273559

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 36mm

Weight: 680g

416 pages