PCU Team at 10th Annual Science Postgradruate Symposium UCT

On 7 and 8 August 2017, the Science Postgraduate Student's Council at the University of Cape Town (UCT) held the 10th Annual Science Postgradruate Symposium, 'Science Through an African Lens' in the John Day Building, Upper Campus, UCT. Over 43 oral and 25 poster presentations from various departments across the Faculty of Science were presented. Three postgraduate students associated with the Plant Conservation Unit (PCU), including Tsilavo Razafimanantsoa (Poster), Estelle Razanatsoa (Oral Presentation) and Justin van Blerk (Oral Presentation) presented their research at the symposium. Their research mainly seeks to investigate ecosystem change on a seasonal to millennial time-scale and to understand the factors causing these changes.

Tsilavo (MSc student co-supervised by A/Prof. Lindsey Gillson (PCU) and Prof. William Bond) presented the first fruit of long hours of work under the microscope titled, “Dynamism of the ecosystem in Central Highland Madagascar over the last 8000 years ago” (see photo below). His preliminary results show that the past vegetation in Central Highland Madagascar was dynamic from an early period of Erica shrublands with less frequent fires followed by a later period characterised by an open fire-prone grassland ecosystem, and the main drivers of the species establishment depends mainly on fire frequency, climate and openness of the vegetation.

Estelle's (PhD student co-supervised by A/Prof Lindsey Gillson, Dr Malika Virah-Sawmy and Dr Stephan Woodborne) work investigates the impact of climate and human activities across various ecosystems taking the case of southwestern Madagascar. During the symposium she presented her preliminary results from the spiny forest ecoregion. This revealed that the ecosystem has changed from grass taxa dominated ecosystem to become a much drier xerophytic and is currently favouring the establishment of tree taxa belonging to the FABACEAE family. This correlates with the increase of past rainfall that has been reconstructed from baobab growth rings.

Justin (PhD student co-supervised by A/Prof Adam West and Prof Timm Hoffman (PCU)) presented his research on the effects of rainfall seasonality in the Greater Cape Floristic Region. His field experiment is investigating the effects of intra-annual rainfall variability on patterns of post-fire vegetation recovery in Fynbos and Renosterveld. Initial results suggest that the timing of rainfall could have significant impacts on vegetation recovery patterns. Seedlings and resprouting plants were shown to be highly sensitive to soil moisture inputs in the first summer after fire. Justin’s research is showing how change in climatic conditions can lead to changes throughout many different levels of organisation (soil - leaf physiology - plant - community).

All three PCU students found the symposium very important and helpful. Getting their preliminary results and being able to present it to friendly audiences and receiving constructive feedback has encouraged them to carry on with their respective research. Also, it has served as training for them for national and international conferences. More importantly, it has allowed them to establish new friendships and connections with their fellow science faculty peers and colleagues.

~ Article written by Tsilavo Razafimanantsoa, Estelle Razanatsoa and Justin van Blerk. Photograph taken by Estelle Razanatsoa.