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UFS multidisciplinary research published in Special Issue of Koedoe journal

13 November 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Dr Beanelri Janecke

Interdisciplinary research_ web — Five of the multidisciplinary team of researchers and some postgraduate students are determining the depth of soil on the underlying rock layer of the sodic site in the Kruger National Park.

When the Vice-Rector: Research, Prof Corli Witthuhn, invited researchers to apply for funding towards multidisciplinary and interdepartmental projects in 2015, Prof Piet le Roux from the Institute for Groundwater Studies, and the late Dr Fred Kruger from the Centre for Environmental Management took the opportunity and proposed a project to study a catenal ecosystem in the Kruger National Park.

According to Dr Beanélri Janecke from the Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, who led the research team on this project, the team of researchers worked for four years, finding links between the catenal ecosystem (which can be described as a hillslope with different zones forming an environmental gradient from crest to foothill) and processes behind some of its abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) components.

Large-scale multidisciplinary research project

All their research on this multidisciplinary project was published in one Special Issue of the Koedoe journal at the end of October 2020. Dr Janecke and Prof Johan van Tol from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences were guest editors of this special issue. Dr Llewellyn Foxcroft from SANParks is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal. Other UFS departments involved in this project include the Departments of Genetics; Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology; Plant Sciences; and Zoology and Entomology.

Dr Janecke says there are 12 articles in this issue and, together with the principal researchers (but excluding postgraduate students), there were 12 authors from the UFS (eight departments and divisions in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences) and two from SANParks in associated research collaboration with authors from 14 other institutions.

This special issue of the Koedoe journal covered research on hydrology, flowpaths, and ground water, including the soil types and properties of different zones on the catena. As stated by Dr Janecke, there are also articles on micro-organisms, fungi, and Fusarium in the soil of the root zone of plants (rhizobiome).

The environment is degrading fast due to human activities, and there is a dire need for research to look at the bigger picture to find solutions on how to conserve ecosystems and not only smaller parts thereof. – Dr Beanélri Janecke

The journal also comprised articles on the vegetation communities and vegetation structure in the different zones. “Research on how the vegetation recovered post-drought of 2016-2017 and on large and small mammals present on the catena and at the closest waterholes was also published. All of these topics were linked in a discussion article on the catenal ecosystem,” says Dr Janecke.

Multidisciplinary research is not conducted very often on this scale. Many researchers will rather focus on one or a few specific aspects of the ecosystem in a specialist research field.

SANParks introduced supersite concept

Dr Janecke says scientists from SANParks initiated this supersite concept, where research can be focused on specific areas with similar geology and landscapes in the Kruger National Park to generate multidisciplinary data from separate specialist research fields.

“Our project went one step further and combined different research fields into one project done on a supersite over the same period. This multidisciplinary project created the opportunity for specialist research fields to be published separately in one special issue, but also to combine the expertise in one project that was summarised in a discussion article.”

She believes that the environment is degrading fast due to human activities, and that there is a dire need for research to look at the bigger picture to find solutions on how to conserve ecosystems and not only smaller parts thereof. “There is a need for a more holistic approach to research, and this special issue provides a framework and basis for similar multidisciplinary studies in future,” states Dr Janecke.

This issue is currently widely marketed on all social platforms of the Koedoe journal and AOSIS Publishers, while a podcast interview is also available at: https://soundcloud.com/aosis-za/koedoe-interview-podcast-2020 (with permission from Louw Lombaard from AOSIS).

News Archive

New SRC: Records of support and a victory for women

2014-09-04

Ms Mosa Leteane and Ms Louzanne Coetzee
Photo: Johan Roux

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While campuses across South Africa regularly report falling voter turnout in campus elections of student representatives, the University of the Free State, in its recently completed SRC elections, registered record levels of support across our campuses with a total voter turnout of 44%. At the Bloemfontein Campus 34,4% of students voted (5052 votes) and 53,3% (1583 votes) at the Qwaqwa Campus.

Also, for the first time under the new SRC constitution, students elected a woman to lead the student body – Ms Mosa Leteane was elected as President. Another first was the election of a blind woman to the SRC – Ms Louzanne Coetzee. She will be responsible for student accessibility of our Bloemfontein SRC. This marks a victory for women in student governance.

Mr Tulasizwe Sithole was elected as the President of the SRC at our Qwaqwa Campus.

The election of Ms Leteane as President underscores the progress achieved for gender equality with near half of her SRC consisting of women (48%).

These successes are all the more significant, since this is the 4th year of elections under newly adopted SRC constitutions that allow for broader participation of diverse student constituencies in student governance.

This means that the crucial 3-year mark to test a new approach and method in governance and elections was not only successfully reached, but also in its 4th year shows the constitution as one that sustains its impact to deepen democracy and citizenship among our 30,000-strong student body.

“The results of the SRC elections across campuses show that our students are not only ready to lead our campus communities on issues relating to justice, freedom and democracy beyond our societal legacies of race and gender, but do so also for the student movement nationally. We’re immensely proud of our students, who show courage and resilience to choose leaders not for expediency, but for significance, and to lead not for some, but for all”, the Dean of Student Affairs, Rudi Buys, said.

The Qwaqwa SRC was installed on 2 September 2014, while the Bloemfontein SRC will be installed on 5 September. The Central SRC will be established on 14 September by joint sitting of the two SRCs.

The SRC members 2014/15 at the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses are as follows:

Bloemfontein Elective portfolios:
President: Ms Mosa Leteane
Vice Pres: Mr Waldo Staude
Secretary: Ms Dineo Motaung
Treasurer: Ms Maphenye Maditsi
Arts & Culture: Mr Stefan van der Westhuizen
Accessibility & Student Support: Ms Louzanne Coetzee
First Generation Students: Ms Mpho Khati
Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Lethabo Maebana
Legal & Constitutional Affairs: Mr Lindokuhle Ntuli
Sport: Ms Dominique de Gouveia
Student development & Environmental Affairs: Mr Victor Ngubeni
Transformation: Mr Tumelo Rapitsi

Bloemfontein Ex officio Portfolios
Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Student Council: Mr Piet Thibane
Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Student Council: Mr Jonathan Ruwanika
Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Campus Residences Student Council: Ms Melissa Taljaard
City student Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Student Council: Ms Kerry-Beth Berry
Post graduate Affairs & Ex officio: Post Graduate Student Council: Ms Masabata Mokgesi
International Affairs & Ex officio: International Student Council: Mr Makate Maieane
Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Student Media Council: Mr Samuel Phuti
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Mr Johan du Plessis
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Mr Manfred Titus

Qwaqwa Elective portfolios:
President General: Mr Thulasizwe Sithole
Deputy President: Ms Zethu Mhlongo
Secretary General: Mr Vukani Ntuli
Treasurer General: Mr Langelihle Mbense
Media & Publicity: Ms Nongcebo Qwabe
Politics & Transformation: Ms Nkosiphile Zwane

Qwaqwa Ex officio Portfolios
Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Mr Ndumiso Memela
Academic Affairs: Mr Simon Mofekeng
Arts & Cultural Affairs: Ms Samkelo Mtshali
Off-Campus Students: Mr Khanyisani Mbatha
RAG, Community Service & Dialogue: Mr Njabulo Mabaso
Religious Affairs: Mr Mfundo Nxumalo
Residence & Catering Affairs: Ms Ntombifuthi Radebe
Sports Council: Mr Luvuno

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