Restoring the “Place of the Eland”

The Witsieshoek Community Conservation Area (WCCA) is strategically located, connecting four South African protected areas and bordering Lesotho. Despite historic over‑population and resource pressure, it retains high biodiversity and ecotourism potential. This work package focuses on evidence‑based rangeland restoration and rewilding, partnering with Meat Naturally Africa to link improved grazing and fire management to carbon and livestock market access. Success will depend on collaboration among Royal Houses, tourism partners, and livestock owners. Research will assess ecological, economic, and social benefits, while addressing declines in species such as the mountain reedbuck and movements of eland to reduce conflict and enhance ecotourism.

Restorative green justice

Beyond rewilding, this work package engages the broader Qwaqwa community, where livelihoods are shaped by political change, environmental degradation, migration, and governance tensions. Communities remain resilient, but equitable access to Ecosystem Services is critical for sustainable futures. Research will explore lived experiences, livelihood portfolios, and the role of social identity in driving pro environmental behaviour. By examining mountain epistemologies and local knowledge, the project aims to position communities as agents of positive environmental change. Restorative Green Justice seeks to integrate ecological restoration with social justice, ensuring that policies and practices support fair access to resources and strengthen collective identity for long term sustainability.
 

Functional biodiversity

This work package expands research across the Eastern Great Escarpment, including the Maloti Drakensberg, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eswatini Escarpment, Soutpansberg Mountains, and Manica Highlands. The focus is on functional biodiversity — the traits and interactions that sustain ecosystem services — rather than species richness alone. By integrating ecological surveys with innovative technologies, researchers aim to understand how fauna and flora adapt to diverse conditions, including anthropogenic habitats. This approach will reveal behavioural and ecological flexibility, providing insights into ecosystem functioning. The findings will inform restoration strategies and policies, ensuring biodiversity conservation is linked directly to human wellbeing and sustainable livelihoods.

Ecosystem services and behavioural diversity

This work package investigates how biodiversity supports ecosystem services, with emphasis on behavioural diversity in montane fauna. Recent discoveries, such as flexible carnivore diets, monkeys’ landscape of fear, rodent brain size variation, and lizard pollinated flowers, highlight the adaptability of species under changing conditions. These behavioural innovations directly impact ecosystem functioning and resilience. Research will connect ecological data with community needs, addressing gaps in knowledge about how ecosystem services underpin livelihoods. By combining ecological monitoring with social science perspectives, this work package aims to strengthen sustainable development pathways, ensuring that conservation outcomes benefit both biodiversity and the communities who depend on it.