Centre for African Ecology

The Centre for African Ecology is a research group in the School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences. Its mission is "To foster the development and maintenance of a centre of excellence in ecology and related biological disciplines, and their application to conserving and managing biological resources, with special relevance to African environments". MEMBERS Prof. Norman Owen-Smith, Research Professor in African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences. Director of the CAE. Ecology of large herbivores, herbivore-vegetation interactions & consumer-resource modelling Prof. Mary Scholes, Associate Professor, School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, Plant ecophysiology, soil biology & biogeochemistry Mr Wayne Twine, Research Officer, Rural Resource Conservation programme Sustainable use of woody plant resources CURRENT RESEARCH Adaptive resource ecology (N Owen-Smith) Dynamics of herbivore-vegetation systems in spatially and temporally variable environments, including field studies in Kruger Park and KwaZulu-Natal wildlife reserves, plus supporting modelling. Biogeochemistry & nutrient cycling (M Scholes) Biological processes controlling soil fertility and emissions of trace gases from soils, consequences of elevated CO2 for plant growth, nutrient cycling in forestry plantations Rural resource conservation (W Twine) The ecological basis for sustainable rural development, with a focus on uses of indigenous plant resources and consequences of land use change for components of biodiversity. The programme is based at Wits Rural Facility in the central lowveld.