Post Graduate Candidates Brief Description of Research (Max. 100 words) Much of our historical grasslands have been transformed Stuart Demmer (Hons Candidate) into commercial forestry plantations and croplands. Restoring these lands back to their natural state is often BSc Ecology (UKZN) difficult because of a loss of seed and altered soil properties such as allelopathic compounds and increased Email: 214518784@stu.ukzn.ac.za nutrient levels which inhibit native plant germination and promote alien plant establishment. My research looks at mechanisms to mitigate this problem and promote rapid and economic transformation of old commercial forests (Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus) back to their historically biodiverse grassland states. Supervisor(s) Prof Kevin Kirkman Dr Michelle Tedder Brief Description of Research (Max. 100 words) My research project is titled the effects of black and white frost on C3 and C4 grasses. The C3 grasses being used are Eragrostis curvula and Eragrostis teff, and the two C4 grasses will be Festuca rubra and Festuca arundinacea. The motivation behind Sinenhlahla Mntambo (Hons Candidate) the study is the gap in literature surrounding the BSc Environmental Sciences (University of effects of frost on grass survival and biomass KwaZulu-Natal), production. The results of this study will offer Email:213509230@ukzn.ac.za insight on the response of these grasses to frost, and also the impacts frost will have on fire regimes and agricultural production in future.
Post Graduate Candidates Stuart Demmer (Hons Candidate) BSc Ecology (UKZN) Email: 214518784@stu.ukzn.ac.za Brief Description of Research (Max. 100 words) Much of our historical grasslands have been transformed into commercial forestry plantations and croplands. Restoring these lands back to their natural state is often difficult because of a loss of seed and altered soil properties such as allelopathic compounds and increased nutrient levels which inhibit native plant germination and promote alien plant establishment. My research looks at mechanisms to mitigate this problem and promote rapid and economic transformation of old commercial forests (Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus) back to their historically biodiverse grassland states. Supervisor(s) Prof Kevin Kirkman Dr Michelle Tedder Sinenhlahla Mntambo (Hons Candidate) BSc Environmental Sciences (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Email:213509230@ukzn.ac.za Brief Description of Research (Max. 100 words) My research project is titled the effects of black and white frost on C3 and C4 grasses. The C3 grasses being used are Eragrostis curvula and Eragrostis teff, and the two C4 grasses will be Festuca rubra and Festuca arundinacea. The motivation behind the study is the gap in literature surrounding the effects of frost on grass survival and biomass production. The results of this study will offer insight on the response of these grasses to frost, and also the impacts frost will have on fire regimes and agricultural production in future.
PG%20Candidates%202017_%20Kirkman.docx