New Palaeoecology Discussion Group

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 23 May, 2012 17:38

Normal 0 false false false EN-ZA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

James Macpherson has set up a paleoecology discussion group with EGS, Archaeology, Botany, Geology.

Contact him at James.MacPherson@uct.ac.za for details.

Congratulations to Sam Jack, who has been awarded a Distinction for his Masters thesis.

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 23 May, 2012 17:34

Sam's MSc was a study of the distirbution of Aloe dichotoma, questioning its role as a climate change barometer.

MSc and PhD Bursary Opportunities with the Plant Conservation Unit

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 16 May, 2011 15:25

The Plant Conservation Unit is inviting applications from potential MSc and PhD candidates, with an interest in environmental change and palaeoecology. Details can be found at:

New Publications

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 09 February, 2009 10:11

4 new publications, available in albums:

Gillson, L. (2009) Landscapes through Space and Time Landscape Ecology 24:149-155

Gillson, L. and Ekblom, A. (2009) Untangling anthropogenic and climatic influence on riverine forest in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. 18:171-185Ladle, R and Gillson, L.  (2009)  The (Im)balance of Nature: A public understanding time-lag? Public Understanding of Science 18: 229-242Virah-Sawmy, M., Willis, K.J. and Gillson, L. (2009) Threshold response of Madagascar’s littoral forest to sea-level rise Global Ecology and Biogeography 18: 98-110

 

Nature or nurture: the ambiguity of C4 grasslands in Madagascar

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 17 September, 2008 14:13

 New publication available in "Albums"  Willis, K. J., L. Gillson, and M. Virah-Sawmy. 2008. Nature or nurture: the ambiguity of C4 grasslands in Madagascar. Journal of Biogeography 35:1741-1742. 

 

Holocene palaeo-invasions: the link between pattern, process and scale in invasion ecology?

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 01 September, 2008 10:24

New PDF available in "Abums"

Gillson, L., A. Ekblom, K. Willis, and C. Froyd. 2008. Holocene palaeo-invasions: the link between pattern, process and scale in invasion ecology? Landscape Ecology 23:757-769. 

 

Plant Conservation Unit at Interfaces 2008

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 18 August, 2008 09:45

  A joint meeting of the Fynbos and Arid Zone Ecology Fora took place at Oudtshoorn, 3 -7th August. The meeting provided the Plant Conservation Unit with an opportunity to showcase our work and share ideas with fellow researchers and conservation practitioners.  
  • Director of the Unit, Professor Timm Hoffman gave an invited presentation, “that was then … this is now” on the theme of disturbances through time and space.
  • Pippin Anderson gave a prize-winning presentation on her PhD research on the effects of grazing in the Kamiesberg.
  • Fiona Ballantyne spoke on her MSc research on Palaeoecology and Fire management in the Cederberg Wilderness Area.
  • Ryan Blanchard presented results from the re-survey and analysis of the Cape Peninsula permanent vegetation plots.
  • Daniela Bonora gave a poster presentation illustrating her work on the collapse of the Calnwilliam Cedar
  • Peter Carrick, Raldo Kruger and Andre Mayer described the achievements of the Namaqualand Restoration Initiative, and held a workshop on carrying capacity related issues in the Karoo.
  • Visiting researcher Ryan Chisholm (Princeton University) presented his work on ecosystem services and price elasticity.
  • Lindsey Gillson gave a plenary address on “Thresholds in the Palaeo-record”.
  • Rainer Krug presented a poster on the management of Invasive alien plants in the Cape Floristic Region.
  • Igshaan Samuels spoke on livestock mobility on the commons of Namaqualand.
  • Simon Todd described the influence of soils and geology on the vegetation of the Bokkeveld plateau.
  • Thuli Wistebaar presented results of her MSc project on remote sensing of land degradation in the arid grasslands of Bushmanland.
 Timm Hoffman, the Director of the Plant Conservation Unit reflected afterwards: “The PCU’s strong presence and high quality of the presentations at this year’s Interfaces conference not only demonstrates the calibre and energy of our research group but is also strongly aligned with the key principles of our mission statement.”

The Theo Manual Award for Conservation Education, 2008

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 13 August, 2008 10:38

Dr Theo Manuel graduated from the Plant Conservation Unit in 2006 with an award-winning PhD thesis which combined his two great passions - conservation and education.  Following his tragic death in 2008, the PCU established an award in honour of Theo’s memory, to be given out annually at the Fynbos Forum, for the best paper or poster delivered in the field of conservation education.

 

This year’s award was presented to Ms Wilma Strydom, of the CSIR, for her MSc research on the effectiveness of educational resources in teaching young learners and adults about the importance of river health. The project is supervised by A/Prof Karen Esler from the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at the University of Stellenbosch.

 

Though there were many impressive education projects show-cased at the Fynbos Forum, it was Wilma Strydom’s blend of education with scholarly research that caught the adjudicators’ imaginations. “We think Theo would have enjoyed and appreciated Wilma’s passion for conservation education, combined with her rigorous research into the value of educational material used in rural schools to teach young learners about the value and importance of their local river systems”.

 

PDFs Available

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 22 May, 2008 11:01

Lindsey Gillson's pdfs can be downloaded from Albums.

Successful Honours Dissertations

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 14 February, 2008 14:12

Two Honours students, Muri Soares and Alicia Thomas successfully completed their research dissertations on a model of rangelands in Namaqualand and  Spormomiella as indicators of herbivore biomass.

Congratulations to Plant Conservation Unit Graduates

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 14 February, 2008 14:10

Congratulations to Ndafuda Shiponeni (PhD), Llewellyn Foxcroft (PhD) and Ben Wigley (MSc) who graduated in December 2007 

Photographing our Flora - exhibition and web-site

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 14 February, 2008 14:08

The launch of the Plant Conservation Unit took place on 9th November, in combination with a Botany / PCU photographic celebration. There was a magnificent response to the request for photographs with over 100 entries posted on Vula and now displayed on the IPC website (www.uct.ac.za/depts/ipc).  The photos were judged by John Manning and Anton Pauw and 24 of the most beautiful images are now on permanent display in the Botany Lecture theatre.

Cape Peninsula Fire Plots

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 14 February, 2008 14:05

The Plant Conservation Unit together with members of the Botany Department (William Bond, Sue Botha, Jasper Slingsby) have re-surveyed the “Cape Peninsula Fire Plots” which were set up after fires in 2001.  Doug Euston-Brown  and Ryan Blanchard have completed the field work and are now beginning analysis and write up. The project is funded by the PCU and Working for Water.

From Dumps to Daisies

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 14 February, 2008 14:03

The Namaqualand Research Initiative (Peter Carrick, Raldo Kruger, Sue Botha) has successfully trained 3 managers and c. 45 other people in restoration techniques for degraded mine areas. About 50 people now fully skilled to work in the mine restoration sector as sub-contractors to De Beers. The story was reported in UCT’s Monday paper and the Cape Times. Funding is from CEPF with support from de Beers.

Photo Celebration and Student Competition

Posted by Lindsey Gillson on 11 October, 2007 11:10

PLANT CONSERVATION UNIT

 “The Mission of the Plant Conservation Unit is to develop human and institutional capacity through the pursuit of scientific knowledge about the biological functioning of and pressures facing the flora of southern Africa, particularly the succulent karoo and fynbos biomes, so that people are able to make sound management decisions for the sustainable use, conservation and restoration of this unique asset.” 

Photographing our Flora

The Plant Conservation Unit, Botany Department, invites staff and students of UCT to participate in a photographic celebration of our flora.  Photographs should illustrate an aspect of the flora of southern Africa, and reflect themes from our mission statement (see above), including biology and conservation (e.g. pressures, sustainable use, management, and restoration). The celebration is part of a joint PCU/Botany Department initiative to provide an inspiring and thought-provoking environment for students, staff and visitors. To participate, log into Vula https://vula.uct.ac.za/portal/ using your staff or student number, join the BotPhoto Celebration site, and upload your photographs, by clicking on resources, add, and upload file (minimum 300dpi). You can include a title/caption of up to twelve words.  For UCT student participants only, an award of R500 will be given to the photograph which best reflects the spirit of the celebration plus two runner-up awards of R250.  These photographs and up to 20 others will be block mounted and put on permanent display in the Botany Department.  They will also be exhibited on our web-site (www.uct.ac.za/depts/ipc) with full accreditation to the photographer.  Please note that by entering the competition you agree for your work to be displayed in this manner.  Maximum of 5 entries per person. Closing date: 15 October 2007 A celebration of the photographs and of all photographers who participated will take place on Friday 9th November, 2007 in a departmental function.  

Department of Botany, University of Cape TownPrivate Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South AfricaTelephone: (021) 650 2440, Fax: (021) 650 4046

http://www.uct.ac.za/depts/ipc