Despite repeated introductions, existing populations of an invasive fish predator in South Africa display extremely limited levels of genetic diversity.
Findings from two recent papers by C·I·B postdoc, Ross Shackleton, highlight how the invasive plants prickly pear (Opuntia stricta) and Lantana (Lantana camara), cause negative impacts on local communities and the environment in Kenya and Uganda.
The Iimbovane Outreach Project has received a generous donation of books, which will be used to help in the teaching of biodiversity science to the high school learners.
A recent study by C·I·B research fellow Dr Arne Witt and core team member Prof Brian van Wilgen, has found that over 50 alien plant species have established naturalised populations in the iconic Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania.
C·I·B core team member Marcus Byrne, along with University of Witwatersrand’s traditional medicine expert Vivienne Williams and student Ewa Wojtasik explored the viability of alien plants utilised in the South African umuthi trade and results of the study was published in the South African Journal of Botany.