Centre For Ecology

🎐 With South Africa still under a threat of load shedding, wind energy can be a key component in South Africa’s efforts to tackle load shedding and contribute to a more sustainable energy future. So, lets celebrate the power of wind. Centre For Ecology, . 🎐

https://www.centreforecology.co.za/short-course-training/4th-online-introduction-to-gis-and-mapping-in-qgis-short-course

4th ONLINE INTRODUCTION TO GIS AND MAPPING IN QGIS SHORT COURSE - Centre for Ecological and Sustainability Advisory 4th ONLINE INTRODUCTION TO GIS AND MAPPING IN QGIS SHORT COURSE - Centre for Ecological and Sustainability Advisory

There is no magic like recycling or turning things into other things. Be a magician and recycle today for a better tomorrow. .

Happy Environmental Education Day! Let's embrace the value of knowledge and education in creating a sustainable future. Together, we can make a difference in conserving our planet's resources and nurturing a thriving ecosystem.

Centre For Ecology , As we gear up to celebrate National Birds Day, here are a few facts to know

As we gear up to celebrate National Birds Day, here are a few facts to know. Every year, National Birds Day is celebrated on January 5.

Since 2002, National Birds Day has been celebrated in South Africa. This date was chosen because it also happens to be the day for the yearly Christmas Bird Count. The national holiday is observed in South Africa where people join hands together to gain details about the quality and condition of the birds in South Africa.

The living conditions of birds have degraded a lot due to manmade issues. From deforestation to climate change to global warming to habitat loss, the birds have lost their homes and that lost their quality of living conditions. National Birds Day falls on the yearly Christmas Bird Count Day the world's largest citizen science project that counts the wild birds in South Africa. The best way to celebrate this day is by creating awareness about the measures that we must take to ensure that more birds have better living conditions, and the ones held or produced in captivity are set free.

Ecological Role of Elephants (Loxodonta)
There were 1.3 million elephants in the world in 1979, spread over Africa and Asia; by 2016, that number had dropped to only 450,000. For millennia, poaching of African and Asian elephants has been unrelenting, and the illicit wildlife trade that emerged in the 20th century hastened the collapse in elephant populations. These reductions have gotten tenfold worse because to enormous habitat loss and fragmentation. It is heartbreaking to think that a gentle giant who is so beloved by people of all ages will soon pass away. Elephants are not just flagship species, they are:

• Umbrella species,
• Keystone species and,
• They are also ecosystem engineers

Elephants as Umbrella species

The umbrella species concept suggests that conservation areas designed to meet the minimum area requirements of a wide-ranging species, like elephants, can protect smaller 'beneficiary' species with smaller ranges. Elephants, with their vast home ranges, are ideal for this strategy. Their well-defined corridors and trails provide continuity within protected areas, allowing free movement for migrations and dispersal. Elephants play a significant role in wildlife conservation.

Elephants as Keystone species

Elephants are crucial to ecosystems, shaping landscapes and allowing others to thrive. They consume more woody vegetation than other large herbivore species, facilitating a fast nutrient cycle and increasing productivity and diversity. In Africa, elephants are major agents of seed dispersal, releasing seeds elsewhere. However, the extinction of elephant-like megafauna in the late Pleistocene Epoch led to the loss of dispersal agents for tree species, leading to extinctions. With global deforestation rates increasing, it is essential to conserve elephants to prevent
further deforestation and protect biodiversity.

Elephants as Ecological Engineers species

Elephants, due to their size, can act as ecosystem engineers, modifying and maintaining their environment to benefit the wildlife community. They create new habitats for smaller animals and open gaps in forests, allowing plant species to thrive. This helps maintain diversity and complexity of faunal communities. Megafauna like elephants and rhinos play a crucial role in this process, which is nearing extinction.
We should protect elephants because, all life on Earth exists as champions in their field, adapting to harsh conditions and finding ingenious ways to thrive. Elephants are a fundamental part of ecosystems, and conserving elephants is about conserving the entire ecosystem. Learn from elephants' actions and appreciate their generosity, as they have given much to our species.

Thursday Centre For Ecology

As part of Arbor Month, we explore one of the year's most beautiful tree. Tree Wisteria- Bolusanthus speciosus is widely spread throughout the wooded grasslands in Southern Africa, from Angola and Zambia down to KwaZulu Natal.

This week at Centre for Ecology on , we are learning that the mango tree (Mangifera) is a SUPERTREE. Scientists are analysing global production and establishing that, contrary to popular assumption, mangoes have a solid scientific foundation for being good against climate change. Furthermore, because the commodity has a huge economic influence in both rural and developed areas around the world, more experts are praising it for its ability to do good rather than damage. That's not something we hear very often these days, and we thought it fascinating when we learnt more about it.

South Africa, a nation renowned for its diverse ecosystems and breathtaking natural beauty, grapples with an unparalleled obstacle: climate change. As global temperatures escalate and weather patterns shift, South Africa finds itself vulnerable to the repercussions. The implications of climate change on the environment in this country have reached a critical juncture, demanding an extensive evaluation of its effects while simultaneously exploring viable solutions for the future.

See article:

Climate Change in South Africa: Assessing the Environmental Impact and Solutions for the Future - Centre for Ecological and Sustainability Advisory To comprehend the environmental impact of climate change in South Africa, a comprehensive evaluation of the current situation is imperative. By delving into the data and empirical evidence surrounding climate change in South Africa, a lucid understanding of the magnitude of this issue is attainable....

Today is the World Wildlife Day, under the theme “Partnership with conservation”. When you think of wildlife, the first thing that usually comes to mind is undomesticated animal species/wild animals, but the question we should be asking ourselves is: is it all that is to the term “wildlife”?? And why do we have separate departments for plants and "wildlife".

At Centre for ecology, we commemorate and raise awareness of the world's fauna and flora. Wildlife is essential for driving and maintaining the entire ecosystems at which we depend on for natural resources and ecosystem services.

https://www.centreforecology.co.za/news/water-pollution_rethinking-south-africa-s-water-future

Water Pollution - Rethinking South African's Water Future Most rivers and river basins in South Africa are victims of pollution. People's waste is dumped into these rivers in large quantities, which pollutes the watercourses. The amount of rubbish dumped into rivers has increased along with the growth in habitation along riverbanks.

Masters opportunity, for a South African student, on pangolin functional ecology in a dryland ecosystem. Please share.