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Global change
Drivers of current biodiversity and projected future changes are analysed through zoological and botanical transects along Soutpansberg altitudinal (North-South) and longitudinal gradients (East-West) with a focus on climate change.
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Invasion biology
In close collaboration with the C.I.B projects investigate and demonstrate to communities, eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to reduce crop damage due to invasive rodents and investigate both clearance and spread of invasive plants.
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Ecosystem services & livelihoods
This focus develops models to determine the economic value of ecosystem services in provincial nature reserves as well as in agricultural landscapes, predicting that complex agro-ecosystems with intact natural ecosystems and predator communities will enhance pest management solutions.
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Biodiversity conservation
The Biodiversity focus establishes a data depository including a GIS database, hosts an annual biodiversity academy and coordinates projects on conservation ecology of threatened and iconic target ecosystems.
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scientific article
Bird and bat predation services in tropical forests and agroforestry landscapes
Understanding distribution patterns and multitrophic interactions is critical for managing bat- and bird-mediated ecosystem services such as the suppression of pest and non-pest arthropods. Despite the ecological and economic importance of bats and birds in tropical forests, agroforestry systems, and agricultural systems mixed with natural forest, a systematic review of their impact is still missing. […]
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scientific article
Past, present, and future distribution of Afromontane rodents (Muridae: Otomys) reflect climate-change predicted biome changes
Climate change constitutes a potential threat to montane biodiversity, particularly in low-altitude, tropical mountains; however, few data exist for the Afromontane taxa. In South Africa, the temperate grassland and fynbos biomes are mostly associated with the Great Escarpment and the high-lying central plateau. Varying contractions of the grassland and fynbos biomes are predicted under different […]
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scientific article
Temporal changes in cranial size in South African vlei rats (Otomys): evidence for the ‘third universal response to warming’
Using museum collections and recently collected specimens we studied geographical and temporal (from 1906 to 2013) changes in skull size of two sibling species of rodents, Otomys auratus and O. angoniensis, in northern South Africa occupying distinct temperate grassland (O. auratus) and subtropical savanna (O. angoniensis) biomes. We hypothesised that cranial size should vary in […]
RESEARCH TEAM
Meet some of our researchers and find out what they are doing below:
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Ian Gaigher
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Farai Dondofema
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Irene Barnhoorn
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Caswell Munyai
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Paul Fouche
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Lourens Swanepoel
FUNDERS & PARTNERS
Based at the University of Venda and co-hosted by the Centre for Invasion Biology at the University of Stellenbosch, the Research Chair is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and administered by the National Research Foundation.
