Martiné van den Berg

Surrounded by the environmental riches of South Africa and encouraged by her ecologist parents, Martiné’s passion for nature developed at an early age. After matriculating, she moved from her hometown of Potchefstroom to pursue a BSc at the University of Cape Town. It quickly became apparent to Martiné that she had a special interest in better understanding how global change was influencing the natural world which she loved so much. This lead to her Honours project, where she investigated the ability of a biophysical model to predict thermoregulation in a desert bird. Completing this project confirmed to Martiné that she had a passion for research and she was excited to continue exploring how biophysical models can be used to better understand how birds are influenced by climate change.

For her MSc dissertation, Martiné will now turn to Fynbos birds, including six species endemic to the region. The study aims to combine a microclimate model of habitats with different post-fire ages, with a biophysical model for predicting thermoregulation in the different bird species. In this manner, she hopes to get a more accurate picture of how birds in this biodiversity hotspot will be influenced by global warming and changing fire regimes.

Thesis: Modelling the future for Fynbos birds: how thermal physiology constrains responses to climate change across seasonal and fire gradients. Supervisors: Dr Susie Cunningham and Dr Shannon Conradie