CurveBend’s Work Packages (WPs) are researchers and projects grouped by topic and region, while still maintaining inter- and transdisciplinary links. Learn more about each WP below.
WP1: the Netherlands
In the Netherlands (NL), we will compare various areas of collective action (so-called Living Labs) aimed at restoring characteristic grassland biodiversity in plants, invertebrates and birds. Our primary study sites will be in the provinces Noord- and Zuid-Holland, and Friesland; the wetter, lower parts of the country where dairy farming is an important rural land use. […]
WP2: Argentina
In Argentina (AR), we compare two grassland-dominated regions along a climatic gradient, from temperate to tropical grasslands with decreasing latitude. We will compare different collective initiatives to preserve and restore grasslands graze-based livestock systems against the pressures of conversion to cropland for international export of wheat, maize, and soybeans – sometimes imported into the Netherlands as concentrate. […]
WP3: East Africa
In East Africa (EA) we focus on the transboundary area between southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania, featuring a strong rainfall west-east gradient driven by elevational variation of the Rift valley system, and specifically the area covering south-east Narok county in Kenya and northern Ngorongoro district in Tanzania. This area has for the last 60 years become a mosaic of core protected areas (Maasai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Parks) that protects especially landscape-scale (annually over hundreds of kilometres) of large migratory wildlife as wildebeest and zebra. […]
WP4: CurveBend Coordination & Synthesis
CurveBend is a large international consortium that requires strong coordination and integration across its different components. WP4 serves as the central coordinating body, responsible for overall project management, financial administration, and communication with both partners and the funding agency. It also organises regular meetings with project leaders, annual assemblies, and advisory sessions. […]
WP5: Co-creation, Communication & Impact
CurveBend seeks to bridge divides across disciplines, sectors, and continents in order to address biodiversity loss. Central to this aim is WP5, working to foster mutual learning both locally and internationally—for example, among Dutch dairy farmers, Argentinian gauchos, and Maasai pastoralists, as well as between farmers and conservation managers in shared landscapes. […]