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What’s new at SAEON?
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Two new research papers have been published
The first, by Dr Joh Henschel, Manager of SAEON’s Arid Lands Node, is titled 'Locust times - monitoring populations and outbreak controls in relation to Karoo natural capital’.
Abstract
(Reprinted with kind permission from Taylor & Francis)
"Three decades ago a locust conference in Kimberley deliberated on the Brown Locust Locustana pardalina (Walker), its biology, feeding ecology, population dynamics, outbreak extent and frequency, swarm movements and artificial control of outbreaks. The current paper evaluates recommendations made at this conference. In contrast to the high levels of effort and funding allocated for over a century to the control of locust swarms by means of insecticides, relatively little has been spent on research of the Brown Locust, not even to verify and characterise the actual problem. Methods of locust control have improved and environmental impacts of current applications are somewhat reduced. A critical, comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, necessary to evaluate whether costly control measures and continuous interventions are warranted, has still not been conducted. Many other knowledge gaps remain, such as the ecological significance of locusts as one of the remaining swarming phenomena of the Karoo. Swarms of locusts feed here, defecate there, and die elsewhere, while numerous predators track locust abundance cycles and movements, altogether forming intricate patterns over time and space of dynamic food webs and nutrient recycling across the Karoo and beyond. Past records of Brown Locust population irruptions and crashes in the Karoo extend over 200 years. Suggestions are made on how long-term monitoring could be continued and broadened to encompass knowledge gaps. Brown Locusts are potentially useful indicators of ecosystem integrity and climate change, a potential that should be tested."
The second paper, titled "Repairing compound damage in arid ecosystems - challenges and controversies", is by Richard Dean and Sue Milton-Dean, research associates of SAEON’s Arid Lands Node.
Abstract
"Using the Karoo as an example, we discuss past agricultural damage to the arid ecosystems, which is currently being followed by environmental changes and biodiversity losses associated with the new role of desert ecosystems as power factories (gas, uranium, wind and sun energy), mineral resources or retreats from the city. Development-related damage includes road building, vegetation clearing, soil compaction, water extraction and pollution. We present our views on prospects for ecologically and socially appropriate rehabilitation to rebuild complex and resilient ecosystems where recovery rate is constrained by aridity and rainfall unpredictability. We conclude that, to achieve intergenerational equity and conserve unique ecosystems, considerable investment in arid zone rehabilitation is needed to keep pace with the demands of a rapidly growing human population."
In the pipeline: SAEON contracted to produce a Bio-Energy Atlas for South Africa
Bio-energy is commonly seen as a viable alternative energy. To test this assumption, the Department of Science and Technology contracted SAEON to produce a Bio-Energy Atlas for South Africa.
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