Among the delegates in attendance were academics and students affiliated with the UFS Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) and the Research and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC).

Monday Veli Mdluli delivering his oral presentation: Quantifying the effects of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on bat communities in a montane grassland ecosystem.

The University of the Free State (UFS), together with the Department of Science and Innovation and the National Research Foundation (NRF), co-hosted the Fifth National Global Change Conference (GCC5), which took place from 30 January to 2 February 2023 on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Conference topics included climate change and biodiversity, alternative energy, ocean monitoring, resilient cities and communities, and technologies for global change.

Among the delegates in attendance were academics and students affiliated with the UFS Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) and the Research and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC).

Monday Veli Mdluli and Alex Howard, both PhD students in the Department of Zoology and Entomology – supported by the ARU – delivered oral presentations at the conference.

Mdululi’s PhD is supervised by Prof Peter Taylor (UFS), Prof Ara Monadjem (Professor at the University of Eswatini), Dr Emile Bredenhand (UFS), and Dr Adrinajoro Rakotoarivelo (University of Venda). Howard is also supervised by Profs Taylor and Monadjem, as well as Prof Wanda Markotter (University of Pretoria).

Effects of climate change on bat communities

Mdluli, announced as one of the top-three oral presenters, talked about Quantifying the effects of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on bat communities in a montane grassland ecosystem.

Presenting his PhD project, he says the aim is to ascertain the influence of climate change on bat activity, community structure, species richness, and distribution along an elevational gradient. Furthermore, he also investigates the implications of anthropogenic factors such as human settlements, wetland and rangeland degradation on bat communities and their diet in the Drakensberg Afromontane Grasslands.

Attending the Fifth National Global Change Conference where he presented one of the top-three oral presentations, was Monday Veli Mdluli (centre), together with Kgomotso Motlhakoana from the UFS Organising Team (left), and Prof Paulina Bopape-Mabapa from the University of Limpopo, who also serves on the National Global Change Science Committee.

Delivering the top-three oral presentations by students at the Fifth National Global Change Conference, were from the left, Thabo Moabi from the Department of Zoology and Entomology on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus, Alex Howard, and Monday Veli Mdluli.

Receiving a certificate for delivering one of the best oral presentations at the conference, was Alex Howard (centre), together with Kgomotso Motlhakoana from the UFS Organising Team (left), and Prof Paulina Bopape-Mabapa from the University of Limpopo, who also serves on the National Global Change Science Committee.