Environmental Internship Program - 2023 Booklet
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BIODIVERSITY AND<br />
CONSERVATION<br />
PROJECT TITLE<br />
Comparing Large Mammal<br />
Behavior Across Two<br />
African-protected Areas<br />
ORGANIZATION(S)<br />
Pringle Lab,<br />
Department of Ecology<br />
and Evolutionary Biology,<br />
Princeton University<br />
LOCATION(S)<br />
Gorongosa National Park,<br />
Mozambique<br />
MENTOR(S)<br />
Robert Pringle,<br />
Professor of Ecology and<br />
Evolutionary Biology;<br />
Joel Abraham, Ph.D.<br />
candidate, Ecology and<br />
Evolutionary Biology; Erin<br />
Phillips, Ph.D. candidate,<br />
Ecology and Evolutionary<br />
Biology<br />
Grace Houlahan ’25<br />
PSYCHOLOGY<br />
I worked with the Pringle Lab in Gorongosa<br />
National Park, Mozambique, under the<br />
supervision of Joel Abraham. In Gorongosa,<br />
ecological disturbances such as fire, flooding and<br />
herbivory affect plant life and ecosystems. Our<br />
research goal was to determine and understand<br />
how these disturbances interact and affect<br />
the savanna. To do this, we quantified the<br />
abundances of herbivores and invertebrates to<br />
understand herbivory presence, implemented<br />
flood sensors to measure flood levels, and<br />
collected soil cores to analyze soil composition.<br />
These methods were sometimes tedious, but I<br />
found my field work extremely rewarding. Along<br />
with these various sampling methods, I learned<br />
about the unique history of Mozambique and<br />
how enjoyable field research can be in a team<br />
environment.<br />
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