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26 July 2021 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Nonsindiso Qwabe
On top of the Drakensberg. The ARU and Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge research team are, from the left: Grant Martin, Dr Ralph Clark, Jan van Niekerk, Prof Aliza le Roux, Prof Peter Taylor, and Dr Sandy Steenhuisen.

All mountains around the world have native and non-native species that are expanding their ranges quite dramatically; however, little research has been conducted towards understanding the long-term redistribution of species and the effects of global change on biodiversity.


The Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) on the University of the Free State Qwaqwa Campus – as part of the Mountain Invasion Research Network – has secured a two-year EU Horizon 2020 project under the Department of Science and Innovation, which will be looking at the mechanisms underlying the success and impact of range-expanding species on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

On Monday 19 July 2021, the ARU took a few of its researchers on a scenic helicopter ride to the summit of the Drakensberg for an alpine field-experiment site inspection of the Mont-aux-Sources peak, one of the highest sections of the Drakensberg range. This site has been identified for the project which the research unit will be leading on mountain research.

ARU Director, Dr Ralph Clark, said the project would explore the effects of global change, biological invasions (when species invade new geographic regions), as well as climate and land-use change. He said experiments were needed to explore the various possibilities and to test the extent to which species respond to experimental treatments. The project would therefore be conducting experiments for two years using open-top chambers – causing an increase in temperature of 3 or 4 degrees to what you find naturally – on plant species from lower down to the top of the mountain, to see how they function. “This will give us an idea of whether they will be able to survive in global warming scenarios. If temperatures get warmer, we might start seeing a lot of plants up here that we wouldn’t otherwise find here.”

Dr Clark said little is known about the long-term monitoring of species distribution and the effects of global change. Implementing the project in the Maloti-Drakensberg alpine area will therefore put the area in the global mountain research arena. The elevational gradient in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains provides space to explore the key processes underlying the variation in species elevation with climate change. “One of the things we don’t know much about are alpine systems. We are hoping to establish a long-term alpine research site and try to add as many studies as we can. The more science we can bring up here, the more we can know about mountain life. What happens on mountains has a lot of impact on social dynamics.

“This project is looking to see what is driving range expansion. Every mountain has its own context. In the Swiss alpine, fires are not a big factor, but fires are one of the biggest factors on our mountains. Some of our native and non-native species are therefore fire-driven, so as fire increases, you might have them spreading faster.”

Listen to the article:

News Archive

UFS busy with building projects to the value of R220 million
2010-07-26

Pictured at the sod-turning ceremony are, from the left: Mr Nico Janse van Rensburg (Manager: Physical Planning), Prof. Jonathan Jansen (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS) and Prof. Dennis Francis (Dean: Faculty of Education).
Photo: Ula van Zyl


Since 2009, the University of the Free State (UFS) has already rolled out building projects to the value of R220 million on its Main and Qwaqwa Campuses. 

Some of these projects include a new building for Education Training for the Faculty of Education, which will be erected at a cost of R21 million on the Main Campus opposite the UFS-Sasol Library. The sod-turning ceremony of the centre took place last week.

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, turned the first sod and a tree was also planted at the future entrance of this impressive building. “I am impressed with the eco-friendly design of the building and what the project promises for the future of the faculty and the UFS. It is important that the UFS continues to expand and improve,” he said.

The building, which will primarily be used for the training of Mathematics and Science teachers in the foundational phase, will amongst others boast three classrooms with seating for 100 students each, an auditorium that can seat 225 students and an office block. The auditorium will also be used as a classroom in the traditional African context of open-air teaching. The building has been designed to save water and power efficiently and will be completed by the end of 2011.

Other building projects that have been rolled out on the Main Campus this year include a building consisting of lecturing halls as well as offices for the Faculty of Health Sciences, a new skills laboratory, new laboratories, etc., at the Biotechnology Building, the renovation of the Stef Coetzee Building, die upgrading of various lecturing halls, the upgrading of service workers’ quarters, as well as the installation of computer rooms in virtually all the hostels.

Various other projects are in the pipeline, for example, extensions to the building in which the Department of Architecture is housed. At the Qwaqwa Campus, a new building for the Faculty of Education is under construction, laboratories are being renovated and new hostels for 200 students are being built. 

Media Release:
Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za 
26 July 2010



 

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