Most of us have heard that climate change is likely to impact our lives in the next few decades, but in many instances the reality of climate change has not been made apparent. One of the key questions is what will happen to our national parks and the biodiversity that they conserve?
The alien barnacle Balanus glandula has been rapidly spreading down the South African west coast and recently moved east around Cape Point. This left researchers wondering how it is able to spread so far and why it is spreading so fast.
C·I·B researcher, Charles Griffiths, is a co-author on a recently-published study that shows major changes in the invertebrate community of a small, urban estuary resulting from the proliferation of alien reef-building worms, Ficopomatus enigmaticus.
C·I·B alumnus James Rodger is a co-author on a recently published study that traces the invasion history of fire weed (Senecio madagascariensis) in Australia, using DNA from herbarium specimens dating back to its introduction, as well as present-day collections. This is one of the first studies to use this approach.
Nature provides us with benefits such as fresh water, food, climate regulation, nutrient recycling and a sense of place. These benefits, also known as “ecosystem services”, are critical for our well-being and underpin any future development. Despite an increase in research on ecosystem services, and how these services link to development, it would seem that there is still a gap between ecosystem service research and the implementation of management activities on the ground.