Dr Kim Canavan

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: k.canavan@ru.ac.za

PhD, Entomology, Rhodes University (2016)

Postdoctoral research: Investigating herbivory and plant origin on large-statured grasses in South Africa

Supervisors: Dr Iain Paterson, co-supervisor: Prof Martin Hill 

Kim completed her PhD at Rhodes University in 2016. Her thesis explored herbivory and plant origin in the tall-statured grasses Arundo donax, Phragmites australis and Phragmites mauritianus in South Africa. She is now working as a post doctoral fellow at the CBC looking at developing a prioritisation system for determining biological control targets. She is also involved in exploring the potential for biological control of invasive alien grasses. She is located in Marquard in the Free State. 

Research interests

  • Biological control of invasive plants
  • Invasive alien grasses 
  • Prioritisation of biological control targets 

Recent publications

Canavan K, Paterson ID, Hill MP, Dudley TL (2018) Testing the Enemy Release Hypothesis on tall-statured grasses in South Africa, using Arundo donax, Phragmites australis and Phragmites mauritianus as models. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 1-14.

Canavan K, Paterson ID, Lambertini C. and Hill MP (2018) Expansive reed populations—alien invasion or disturbed wetlands?. AoB Plants10(2), p.ply014.

Canavan K, Paterson ID and Hill MP (2017) Exploring the origin and genetic diversity of the giant reed, Arundo donax in South Africa. Invasive Plant Science and Management10(1), pp.53-60.

Visser V, Wilson JR, Canavan K, Canavan S, Fish L, Maitre DL, Nänni I, Mashau C, O'Connor TG, Ivey P, Kumschick S (2017) Grasses as invasive plants in South Africa revisited: Patterns, pathways and management. Bothalia-African Biodiversity & Conservation. 47(2):1-29.

Canavan K, Coetzee JA, Hill MP, Paterson ID (2014) Effect of water trophic level on the impact of the water hyacinth moth Niphograpta albiguttalis on Eichhornia crassipesAfrican Journal of Aquatic Science. 39(2): 203-208. 

Last Modified: Thu, 10 Dec 2020 20:42:29 SAST