Interview with Lavhe, postdoc at Wilder Rangeland programme

Both SLU and Nelson Mandela University (NMU) are part of the Global Challenges University Alliance 2030 (GCUA 2030) and join forces to promote global sustainable development. 

So, Lavhe, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I grew up in the Venda region of South Africa fascinated by ecosystem functioning, and the overall generosity and beauty of natural lands, making my career choice quite easy. I did my undergraduate in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Venda, followed by research-based MSc at the University of Venda and PhD degrees at Stellenbosch University, on insects and associated ecosystem functions. In addition to my educational background, I have worked as a Research Assistant for the Basque Centre for Climate Change based in Spain, in the planning phase for a pollination project targeting farmers in South Africa. I also worked as a Research Assistant for the South African National Biodiversity Institute on bees and their pollination services in the Karoo.

Before this postdoc you did a PhD at the University of Stellenbosch. What was your PhD about and what were its main findings?

My PhD focused on the effects of rainfall, mammal stocking rates and habitat structure on dung beetles and dung removal within protected areas and rangelands of South Africa. Contrary to my expectation, dung beetle species richness was not influenced by land use while their abundance was greater in protected areas than on farms. Dung beetle species richness, abundance and dung removal increased significantly with an increase in rainfall. Interestingly, while short-term rainfall (over a few days) was a better predictor of species richness, dung removal was best explained by medium-term rainfall (over 5 years) and abundance was best explained by long-term rainfall (over 30 years). This suggests that the climate-change related predicted extreme changes in rainfall in this area could have dramatic impacts on dung beetle communities and their ecological functions.

You are part of the Wilder Rangelands program. What are Wilder Rangelands?

Rangelands are open ecosystems, such as grasslands, savannas or tundra, used for the production of meat and/or fibres from grazing or browsing mammals. Wilder rangelands are rangeland systems where natural processes are being restored or “rewilded”, for example livestock grazing practices that more closely mimic wild grazing systems or by replacing livestock systems with harvested communities of native wild herbivores.

Why Wilder Rangelands?

Rangelands cover a majority of our land surface and they play a crucial role in the provision of ecosystem functions and services, including the provision of food through livestock production. However, these systems are threatened by climate change. Furthermore, the degradation of rangelands by current management practices is one driver of anthropogenic climate change, exerting more pressure on these systems. In the program Wilder Rangelands, we hypothesise that the replacement of wild large mammals by livestock practices has disrupted natural processes that are essential for ecosystem functioning. By implementing wilder rangelands, we may be able to restore these natural processes as natural solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Mountain zebras on Kondoa, Africa. Photo: Joris Cromsigt, SLU

Speaking from your personal experience, how could Wilder Rangelands benefit social transformation and the livelihood of rural South African communities?

Rural South African communities also depend on rangelands for small-scale commercial or subsistence livestock farming. The success of this research will potentially raise awareness of the benefits of Wilder Rangelands on sustainable livestock production. We could also use this platform to inform farmers on good practices and recommend alternative land management practices that will enable mitigation of climate change while maintaining productivity of their lands.

What will you do in your postdoc?

I will facilitate virtual workshops that are aimed at igniting discussions around the Wilder Rangelands concept focusing on ecological and socio-economic perspectives. Through these discussions and collaboration, I will develop a detailed road map for climate-smarter African rangelands based on the restoration of natural processes. Furthermore, I plan to spend the first month of my postdoc reviewing existing literature on the potential for Wilder Rangelands in this climate change era. This will help me identify key research gaps and design a long-term research study that will contribute to implementing Wilder Rangelands.

One main aim of SASUF* is creating cross-linkages between South African and Swedish universities and non-academic partners. How will your postdoc contribute to this?

While based at Nelson Mandela University, I am also a member of the Megafauna and Sustainability lab in SLU led by Prof. Joris Cromsigt. I also hope to take part in the Erasmus exchange programme on wildlife ecology and management that allows staff members from South African universities to travel and teach at SLU.

* Her position is funded through a South Africa – Sweden University Forum (SASUF) grant to both institutions.

What do you personally look forward to most in this postdoc and would like to gain?

As a young researcher, I truly believe that international and interdisciplinary collaboration such as this opportunity is a great platform to learn from experienced researchers in the field. I am looking forward to mentorship from world-renounced scientists in the field of ecology, namely; Prof. Graham Kerley, Prof. Joris Cromsigt and Prof. Mariska te Beest. Overall, I hope this collaborative research and engagements with different stakeholders involved in this Wilder Rangelands programme will enhance my understanding of the field of conservation ecology and other overlapping fields.