Projects and programmes

The FMM group at Stellenbosch is involved in or hosts a number of research projects and/or programmes.

The Hans Merensky EucXylo Chair

The Hans Merensky Legacy Foundation is the main funder of the Hans Merensky Chair in Advanced Modelling of Eucalypt Growth and Wood Formation (EucXylo), and the associated IMPACT Open-Air Laboratory. Prof Dave Drew holds this Chair. Please visit http://blogs.sun.ac.za/eucxylo/ for more information about EucXylo.

The Cederberg Widdringtonia project

THis project, in collaboration with Prof Jonathan Barichivich at CNRS (France), is looking in detail at the fascinating, ancient cedars which grow in a limited elevation band in the Cederberg range in the Western Cape of South Africa. The project will do analysis of tree rings, hoping to develop a chronology beyond 1000 years BP and also monitor selected sites with scientific equipment to understand the patterns of growth in these remarkable trees.

Pinus radiata RCambium growth and wood property model

This project is a small part of a research initiative funded in Australia by Forest and Wood Products Australia. The prototype RCambium model, which can be tested here, is the main outcome of this work.