Navigating a Changing Landscape: Combined Impacts of Land Use Change and Climate Variability on Wildebeest Migration in East Africa

Abstract

This study explores how the contemporary patterns of wildebeest migration in East Africa have been shaped by land use change and climate variability. Contemporary spatial and temporal patterns of wildebeest migration were determined using literature reviews and global positioning systems data and then visualized with geographic information systems. These were then compared to earlier migration patterns to identify any shifts that may have occurred. Land use changes within migration routes were examined using existing literature. Shifts in the long-term climate trends of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem were assessed with data from Climate Hazards InfraRed Precipitation with Stations and NASA Power. Land use change and climate variability were analyzed in relation to known migration routes, and their combined impacts on contemporary migration patterns were then determined. This study found that wildebeest migration patterns remain largely intact with current routes and timing resembling historical ones. Additionally, the dynamics and predictability of wildebeest migration patterns in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem are increasingly at risk due to changes in land use and long-term shifts in climate trends. Land management strategies and wildebeest conservation efforts should focus on maintaining habitat connectivity and forage availability along traditional migration routes. Additionally, further research on the combined impacts of land use change and climate variability on wildebeest migration in East Africa should be conducted.