C4 grasses of Africa
Two current projects are focused on endemic and indigenous C4 grass species of the Grassland, Nama Karoo and Savanna Biomes. We are exploring the role of C4 photosynthetic subtype in determining photosynthetic performance and leaf and plant level water use efficiency.
Seagrass
We are engaged in collaborative research “Project SeaStore” with the Marine Genomic lab, The von der Heyden lab, where our focus is on determining the critical limiting factors for light harvesting and carbon uptake in seagrass (Zostera capensis) beds that are permanently and temporally inundated by tidal fluctuation in southern African estuaries with the goal of restoring resilient populations of Z. capensis along its distributional range.
Quiver Trees
Past research has focused on the ecology, ecophysiology and distribution of Aloidendron dichotomum, the iconic tree Aloe of southern Africa. After Dr Wendy Foden's novel work on the effect of climate change on this species in the early 2000s, research in the GCBG has focused on understanding the ecophysiology of this species in order to inform understanding of its predicted response to future climate change. Other research has looked at the historic distribution of this species to further inform this understanding. Our team is currently revisiting target populations in South Africa and Namibia to survey recruitment, population health and mortality across its geographic range. These findings will be compared to past surveys done two decades ago.