Fire spreading rapidly is always a risk at the University of Cape Town.
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The fynbos vegetation that historically clothed the slopes of Table Mountain is highly inflammable. This has been worsened by the spread of alien trees that burn more intensely than the fynbos.
Fire hazards are influenced by three factors: weather, an ignition source and fuel loads. The first two are unpredictable. But fuel loads can be managed.
Losing archives has significant implications in a country like South Africa with a fraught and contested history because voices from the past, which may carry alternative histories, are lost.
Researchers have come up with a new framework that assigns an invasive species threat score to World Heritage Sites. This will improve how these species monitored and managed.
Too much ultraviolet radiation is dangerous for human health. Excessive exposure can cause skin ageing and sunburn and can induce melanoma, cataracts, ocular melanoma, and immunodeficiency.
The danger of fires in the Cape region this season is partly dependent on how the Fynbos has been managed over the past few decades.
Household rat poison is endangering caracals, and other wildlife species in Cape Town, that prey on poisoned rodents. If not managed, this can negatively alter the region’s ecosystem.
Humans - the very “carriers” who can spread dangerous microbes unthinkingly from their equipment and shoes - can instead become the first line of defence against a possible microscopic invasion.
A robust technique using the wonders of digital media has helped researchers understand how threatened species like frogs are faring on our globally changing planet.
Restoring habitats have numerous benefits, they can also benefit humanity. But it is for people to be convinced that they can actually do good.
Top contributors
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Distinguished Professor of Conservation Ecology, Stellenbosch University
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Senior Researcher, Agricultural Research Council
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Washington State University
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Researcher, University of Cape Town
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Professor, Université de la Réunion
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Scientist, aquatic non-native species
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Principal Researcher Ecosystem services assessment and mapping, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
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Chief Specialist Scientist (Public Health), South African Medical Research Council
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Climate Scientist and Researcher, University of Cape Town
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Director, African Climate and Development Initiative, University of Cape Town
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Senior Researcher at the CIB based in the Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University
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Postdoctoral Fellow - University of California and Institute for Communities and Wildlife, University of Cape Town
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Senior Lecturer in Conservation Ecology & Genetics, University of Cape Town
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Scientist, South African National Biodiversity Institute
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Communication officer, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
