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Prof Frank Zachos
Prof Frank Zachos, an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Genetics, participated in a study on the genetic diversity of species published in the prestigious Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Early this year, an article examining the monitoring of genetic diversity in Europe – indicating which countries are doing it, for which and for how many species – was published in the prestigious Nature Ecology & Evolution. Prof Frank Zachos, an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein, South Africa, participated in this study, which was co-conducted by 52 scientists representing 60 universities and research institutes from 31 countries.

According to Prof Zachos, who is also a scientist and curator of mammals at the Natural History Museum in Vienna in Austria – one of the world’s largest natural history museums with more than 30 million specimens – genetic diversity is crucial for species to adapt to climate change.

Genetic diversity key to species survival

Genetic diversity is one of the keys to species survival. He points out that in 2022, the International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has placed increased emphasis on the need to protect the genetic diversity found in wild species – a fundamental component of biological diversity that has been generally neglected in the past.

Prof Zachos explains that global warming is already putting pressure on many species in Europe and elsewhere, particularly those with populations at the climatic limits of their range. These populations are not only at risk of extinction, but also tend to carry genetic variants favoured by natural selection for survival in challenging environments. “These ecologically peripheral regions may, therefore, function as reservoirs from which, through gene flow, adaptive variants can spread into populations of the core range that will be affected by climate change later. This increases the overall resilience of species,” he says. 

He emphasises that analysing genetic diversity and its changes over time in populations located in areas with challenging environmental conditions is especially important for conservation.

Better monitoring of species needed

In a statement, he mentions that this study reveals that current efforts to monitor genetic diversity in Europe are incomplete and insufficient.

According to the new study, more efforts are necessary, particularly in the southeast of Europe (Turkey and the Balkans), as this region is underrepresented, but at the same time strongly affected by climate change, possibly harbouring many reservoir populations that can adapt well to the challenges posed by environmental shifts.

Prof Zachos adds that monitoring efforts were significantly biased towards certain taxonomic groups, as they have found many monitoring projects targeting large carnivores such as brown bears and wolves, iconic species that are also of political relevance.

He explains that they will, however, be less affected by climate change than, for example, amphibians and many tree species. “Yet, the latter are only rarely included in genetic monitoring projects,” says Prof Zachos, who is of the opinion that a monitoring strategy with less geographic and taxonomic bias, along with systematic targeting of full environmental gradients and high-biodiversity regions, would be an important contribution towards the protection of threatened species – many of which also provide invaluable services to humans, such as crop pollination or pest control.

Better support for ecosystem conservation

He holds the view that this is not only restricted to Europe, but applies globally, especially in superdiverse regions such as Southern Africa.

Prof Zachos states that, considering recent agreements aimed at halting biodiversity decline – of which South Africa is a signatory country – the study also points out the urgent need for improved international monitoring of species, and especially their genetic diversity. “This will facilitate better land-use planning and support for ecosystem conservation and restoration actions, ensuring the survival of species and the services they provide,” he says.

News Archive

Twenty years of the constitution of South Africa – cause for celebration and reflection
2016-05-11

Description: Judge Azar Cachalia Tags: Judge Azar Cachalia

Judge Azar Cachalia

The University of the Free State’s Centre for Human Rights and the Faculty of Law held the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the South African Constitution on 11 May 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus.  Students and faculty members celebrated and reflected on not only the achievements of the constitution but also on perspectives regarding its relevance in modern society, and to what extent it has upheld the human rights of all citizens of South Africa.

The panel discussion started with a presentation on the pre-1996 perspective by Judge Azar Cachalia of the Supreme Court of Appeal.  Judge Cachalia reflected on his role in the realisation and upholding of the constitution, from his days as a student activist, then as an attorney representing detainees during political turmoil, and currently as a judge: “My role as an attorney was to defend people arrested for public violence. My role as a judge today is to uphold the constitution.”  He stressed the importance of the constitution today, and the responsibility institutions such as the police service have in upholding human rights.  Judge Cachalia played a significant role in drafting the new Police Act around 1990, an Act which was to ensure that the offences perpetrated by the police during apartheid did not continue in the current democratic era. Further, he pointed out that societal turmoil has the potential to make society forget about the hard work that was put into structures upholding human rights. “Constitutions are drafted in moments of calm.  It is a living document, and we hope it is not torn up when we go through social conflict, such as we are experiencing at present.”

Thobeka Dywili, a Law student at the UFS, presented her views from the new generation’s perspective.  She relayed her experience as a student teaching human rights at schools in disadvantaged communities. She realised that, although the youth are quite aware of their basic human rights, after so many years of democracy, “women and children are still seen as previously disadvantaged when they should be equal”. She pointed out that, with the changing times, the constitution needs to be looked at with a new set of eyes, suggesting more robust youth engagement on topics that affect them, using technology to facilitate discussions. She said with the help of social media, it is possible for a simple discussion to become a revolution; #feesmustfall was a case in point.

Critical perspectives on the constitution were presented by Tsepo Madlingozi of University of Pretoria and University of London. In his view, the constitution has not affected policy to the extent that it should, with great disparities in our society and glaring issues, such as lack of housing for the majority of the poor.  “Celebration of the constitution should be muted, as the constitution is based on a decolonisation approach, and does not directly address the needs of the poor. The Constitutional Court is not pro-poor.”  He posed the question of whether twenty years on, the present government has crafted a new society successfully.  “We have moved from apartheid to neo-apartheid, as black elites assimilate into the white world, and the two worlds that exist have not been able to stand together as a reflection of what the constitution stands for.”

Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, encouraged more open discussions, saying such dialogues are exactly what was intended by the Centre for Human Rights. She emphasised the importance of exchanging ideas, of allowing people to speak freely, and of sharing perspectives on important issues such as the constitution and human rights.

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