THE Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, based at Stellenbosch University, has signed a collaborative research agreement with Working for Water (WFW).
Working for Water is an initiative lead by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry to find ways in which to save water.
One of the focus areas for the research is to look at invasive alien plant species which excessively consume water from the soil.
CIB’s research will address the integra- ted management of alien invasive species and will incorporate training of postgraduate students, particularly at the doctoral level. The training will be integrated with short courses on invasive species ecology and management for environmental managers in government agencies.
The management of invasive alien species is best done by integrating a range of tools to control or halt the spread of invasive alien species and developing strategies to prevent the introduction or establishment of new populations.
The CIB and WFW research programme, and the students that form part of it, will support these efforts by doing targeted applied research in for example genetic techniques to identify the source of South African invasive plant populations, and ecological techniques to compare the biodiversity impacts of different alien clearing methods.
In-depth research will be undertaken to improve the effectiveness of biological control by means of natural enemies such as herbivorous insects, to control invasive species and using molecular study techniques and to establish the impact of biological invasions on freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.
“Partnerships of this kind are exactly what are required to reduce the rates and impacts of biological invasions in South Africa, and the CIB looks forward to a close and fruitful working relationship with the Working for Water programme,” says CIB director, prof Steven Chown.
The CIB brings together a network of invasion biology researchers from throughout South Africa and it is co-ordinated by the Faculty of Science at the University of Stellenbosch.
