The first global-scale assessment of the phenomenon of invasive species was undertaken in the 1980s, as part of the international SCOPE programme on biological invasions.
A recent study by Fahimeh Jami, together with C·I·B researchers Jaco Le Roux and Dave Richardson, had a closer look at the geographical and host range of Botryosphaeriaceae, a family of fungi that are common pathogens on woody plants. The study, published in the journal, Fungal Biology, provided the first Botryosphaeriaceae records for both the locations and hosts studied.
A recent publication by C·I·B research associates has shown that springtails (Collembola) are able to withstand (resistant) and recover (resilient) from fires in Fynbos ecosystems.
The Western Cape has a lot to boast about when it comes to biodiversity, and who better to inform than the youth who will be protecting it one day! In support of this, the Iimbovane Outreach Project hosted a “Big on Biodiversity” workshop at the C·I·B, Stellenbosch University.
Three C·I·B researchers, Mark Robertson, Cang Hui and Vernon Visser developed a new R package that can be used for assessing and improving the quality of datasets consisting of occurrence records.
