I am a PhD candidate in Conservation Biology and a MacArthur
Scholar in an Interdisciplinary Program on Global Change, Sustainability
and Justice at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. I
focus on the conservation needs of chimpanzees in Gombe and
on the east coast of Lake Tanganyika. Since Gombe National Park
was established in 1968, its vegetation has gradually recovered
while deforestation has severely increased outside protected
areas. I use remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) to link habitat change, as detected from historical aerial
photos and satellite images, with 40 years of chimpanzee observations
at Gombe. I study how vegetation change, inside and outside
of Gombe, has influenced chimpanzee ranging and grouping patterns.
I am also evaluating chimpanzee habitat loss and fragmentation
between 1972-2001 in Western Tanzania. I work closely with The
Jane Goodall Institute, Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation
and Education Project (TACARE), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)
and other institutions to help inform conservation efforts in
the region.
I grew up in Glodeni, Republic of Moldova, and did my MS in
Zoology at Moscow State University, Russia, and postgraduate
work at the University of Bucharest in Danube Delta, Romania.
Before Gombe I studied as a Fulbright Scholar in the use of
remote sensing and GIS for coastal zone management at the Center
for Remote Sensing, University of Delaware, and worked as an
environmental consultant at the World Bank in Washington, DC.
Lilian is currently finishing his Ph.D. while working at the Nature Conservancy and the Jane Goodall Institute as Director of Conservation Science.
Some Relevant Links:
JGI
Tacare
|
