Current PhD Students
Nozuko Ngqiyaza
Room number 115, 2nd Floor, Botany
Functional traits of thicket pioneer species that invade grass-dominated savannas.
Short description of thesis: My research project is looking at the ecology of broadleaf thicket pioneers that recruit into savannas and grasslands. The research focuses on functional traits of (1) savanna species that establish and mature within the open grassy matrix, (2) thicket pioneers species that establish under medium to large-sized savanna trees and initiate clump formation, and (3) “obligate” forest or thicket species that are associated with closed-canopy vegetation where this occurs as an endpoint of the successional sequence. The research also entails phylogenetic analyses to examine the evolutionary history of thicket pioneers and their life history strategies.
The study aims to compare the traits between savanna, thicket pioneers and obligate closed-canopy species and to determine how the traits characterizing the three ecological successional stages compare across an aridity gradient, and whether there are commonalities in the trait differences between the three groups across the aridity gradient.
Supervisor: Prof. Susanne Vetter
Room 115, 2nd floor
Flames of the Savanna: Exploring the Role of Grasses in Shaping Fire Dynamics of the Kalahari
My PhD investigates how fire, grass functional traits, herbivory, and climate influence grass species composition and recovery in semi-arid Kalahari savannas. I combine field experiments on tussock flammability, and vegetation monitoring across fire scars, with statistical modelling to track the post-fire responses of grasses over time. I also explore how climate change may shift grass distributions and fire regimes, with broader implications for ecosystem functionality in arid landscapes.
Supervisor: Prof. Susanne Vetter, Rhodes University
Co-supervisor: Prof. Michelle Greve, University of Pretoria
Publications:
Singini, E.J., Mc Millan, B., Newete, S.W. and Witkowski, E.T.F. (2024) Ecological drivers of Seriphium plumosum encroachment: Implications for management and conservation. South African Journal of Botany. 176 (2025). p.1-8.
Last Modified: Fri, 27 Jun 2025 16:12:36 SAST