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08 September 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Falko Buschke
Dr Falko Buschke says the iconic sandstone cliffs of the eastern Free State are key to protecting wild plants and animals from climate change.

The iconic sandstone cliffs of the eastern Free State are often the focus of paintings and postcards. Now, new research shows they also protect wild plants and animals from climate change. This finding is the outcome of a collaborative research effort by the University of the Free State (UFS); BirdLife South Africa; the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and KU Leuven, Belgium, which has recently been published in the journal Biological Conservation.

Mountains key for climate change mitigation

The study, led by Dr Falko Buschke from the Centre for Environmental Management UFS, used satellite data from NASA to track the ecological effects of wet and dry seasons, including the record drought of 2015/16. This showed how vegetation on the cool and moist mountain slopes was less affected by dry spells.

The complex physical terrain allows moisture to accumulate in the shaded parts of the south-facing slopes and ravines. This creates cool and moist habitats for plants and animals that wouldn’t survive in the rest of the hotter and drier landscape.

The team also discovered that these positive effects of mountains do not end at the foot of the mountain, but extend at least 500m into the flatter lowlands. “Presumably because water and nutrients accumulate in these surrounding buffers due to run-off,” says Dr Buschke.

Butterflies find safety on mountains

In addition to their high-tech analysis of the area, the team also relied on old-fashioned fieldwork to monitor butterflies over two years. “The data showed us how these insects find safety on mountains during harsh climate conditions and can then recolonise the rest of the landscape after conditions improve,” explains Dr Buschke. “This gives us clues on the best way to protect nature,” he adds. 

This study took place in the Rooiberge-Riemland Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), an area significant for maintaining global biodiversity. Several species of insects, reptiles, birds and mammals here occur nowhere else on earth. “If they disappear here, they will go extinct from the whole planet forever,” says Dr Falko Buschke. 

Despite its ecological significance, most of the area is covered by commercial farmland. So, the next stage of the project is exploring ways of protecting these important habitats while ensuring that farmers can continue producing food and supporting rural livelihoods. 

Farmers hold the key to preserving biodiversity,” says Dr Buschke, “so conservation scientists need to work closely with them to ensure that we protect species for future generations.” 

News Archive

UFS leads international conference
2010-05-13

Here Minister Naledi Pandor is introduced to Prof. Martin Kropff, Rector of the Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands. Looking on are Prof. Aldo Stroebel and Melody Mentz.
– Photo Supplied.
The Third Biannual Conference of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) was held in Cape Town, South Africa during April 2010. The conference was co-hosted by the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). It was the first time that the conference was held in Africa. The conference was attended by more than 400 delegates, representing more than 40 countries around the globe, and was officially opened by Minister Naledi Pandor, Department of Science and Technology (DST). The University of the Free State (UFS) took the lead in organising this event, with Prof. Aldo Stroebel, Vice-President of SARIMA and Director: Internationalisation at the UFS, as Conference President, and Prof. Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development at the UFS, as Chairperson of the Programme Committee. Other UFS staff who were members of the organising committee included Melody Mentz (Student Development and Success) and Lise Kriel (Planning Unit). Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Teaching and Learning, participated in a panel discussion on research leadership.

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