Workshop on Australian acacias held at SU

Australian acacias are the topic of discussion during an extensive workshop being held this week by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology(C·I·B) at Stellenbosch University (SU).

According to workshop organiser Prof Dave Richardson of the C·I·B, the focus falls on the ecology and management of Australian acacia as they occur outside their natural environment.

Species such as black wattle, blackwood and rooikrans that originally hail from Australia have over the years become invasive in countries such as South Africa, with dire consequences to local biodiversity.

A multidisciplinary range of themes, including aspects on the history and distribution of Australian Acacia, their evolutionary status and their management, will be addressed by workshop participants from around the world.

Prof Richardson says that the contributions of attendees will be developed into papers for a special issue of the journal Diversity and Distributions.

“The workshop is fostering international collaboration on the subject, and exposes South African students to exciting research opportunities,” he believes.

The workshop, which ends on Friday, is being held at the Wallenberg Research Centre, home of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

Photo: Taking part in the Acacia workshop are (front) Waafeka Vardien (CIB student at Stellenbosch University), Kgomotso Thomas (Northwest University), (back row) Dr Libby Ribon (Australian National University), Dr Michelle Leishman (Macquarie University, Australia), Prof Dave Richardson (CIB, Stellenbosch University) and Dr Dan Murphy (Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne). Photo: Engela Duvenage