This page documents the collaborative efforts and research of University of Georgia researcher Dr. Elizabeth King’s laboratory.
Elizabeth King, an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Odum School of Ecology and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, helps students appreciate the connectedness and complexity of human-environment interactions.
King conducts research in two main areas of sustainability science:
One area focuses on challenges faced by livestock-herding societies in rural Africa. In many regions, these people are struggling to secure sustainable livelihoods in the face of drastic environmental and social pressures.King’s work combines ecology and social science to gain a more holistic view of livelihood vulnerability. She is particularly interested in which households in a community are able to successfully adapt to changing conditions, and what kinds of assets, knowledge and social arrangements give them that ability.
The other sustainable science area is bio-cultural conservation and ecological restoration within Georgia. King studies how—and why—humans repair damaged and degraded ecosystems. Some of this work is on the beautiful barrier islands of Georgia’s coast, including Maritime Live Oak Forest restoration, bio-cultural conservation of Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia sericea) Meadows, and the TREE LIFE STORY Listening Project.
Knowing Trees 