Theme:
31 July- 3 August 2017
Organised by the Fynbos Forum Committee
Please find the abstract document here: https://fynbosforum.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Abstracts-Fynbos-Forum-1.pdf
POWERPOINTS:
Powerpoints day 1: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1av-xk4T2DBVA80XrwBmWiYQYb9c7qzIG?usp=sharing
Powerpoints day 2: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GVlaoqHq9sj8c-TLdyLTAARs2ocgGzNZ?uuspsharing
Powerpoints day 3: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AnmoYdoJPrlURiohbJ5GnQV3-g1G8_eH?usp=sharing
Fynbos Forum 2023
Abstract booklet
Medecos 2022
(combined Fynbos Forum)
Abstract booklet
Keynote session 2: Ecology of the West Coast of Southern Africa
Symposium 1: Plant life on atypical substrates in MTEs
Keynote 3: Vegetation of the Greater Cape Floristic Region: a floristic perspective
Thematic Session: Big data & Biodiversity challenges for a shifting future:
Thematic session: Fire-driven evolution of MTE floras
Symposium 4- Advances in Remote Sensing of Biodiversity in Mediterranean-type Ecosystems
Symposium 5- Using remote sensing to understand and manage Mediterranean-type ecosystems
Symposium 5- Using remote sensing to understand and manage Mediterranean-type ecosystems
Symposium 6- Using long-term data to conserve and manage Mediterranean-type ecosystems
Thematic Session- Biodiversity & species interactions
Thematic Session- Specialised species, habitats and their conservation
Thematic session- Demography, population dynamics and biogeography of MTE’s
Thematic session- Ecophysiology and Functional traits
Hall 2: Thematic session- Biodiversity & species interactions
Hall 2 : Thematic session- MTE conservation needs and actions
Hall 2: Thematic session- MTE’s as socio-ecological systems
Symposium 9- The Palaeo-Agulhas Plain revises our understanding of the Cape Floristic region
Thematic session- Current biodiversity conservation challenges for a shifting future
Symposium 10- Global Forest Communicators Network
Day 01, Session 01
Day 01, Session 2.1
Day 01, Session 2.2
Day 01, Keynote – Michael Pirie
Day 02, Session 01
Day 02, Session 2.1
Day 02, Session 2.2
Day 02, Poster Session
Day 02, Field Trip Session
Day 02, Keynote – Rupert Koopman
Day 03, Session 1.1
Day 03, Session 1.2
Day 03, Session 2.1
Day 03, Session 2.2
Day 03, Keynote – Aileen Anderson
Alien plant invasions, their impacts and effective responses
When systems are broken, restoration becomes the narrative
Detection and mapping of invasive alien plants in the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS)
I know what you did last summer: locating and dating land cover change events in the Renosterveld
Invasive potential and management interventions for Melaleuca diosmifolia in South Africa
Monitoring active riparian rehabilitation sites in the Berg & Breede River catchment, Western Cape, South Africa
Making the case for active riparian rehabilitation. A comparison of methods in the Berg-Breede Catchment, Western Cape
Flower Valley : Conservation Collaboration in the Overberg:
Predicting social wasp invasion in Mediterranean type ecosystems: insights form the Cape
A fresh look at biocontrol for pines
Using geospatial technology to identify groundwater dependent wetlands
Exploring the representation of wetlands in hydrological models and their applicability to palmiet wetlands of the upper Kromme catchment
Connectivity clues: hydrological monitoring to understand surface and groundwater flows in the Kromme and Baviaanskloof catchments, the eastern end of the Table Mountain Group
Quantifying the Water Benefits of Ecological Infrastructure Restoration: Greater Cape Town Water Fund Case Study
Connecting local to global: the role of research networks and science-policy interfaces
Collaborating in social-ecological systems research: lessons from PECS and beyond
Table Mountain Fund Pride Programme – Immersive experience
Communication in Conservation: Flower Valley as a Case Study
Levers for transformation in uncertainty: Operationalising inspiration, social capital and learning in landscape-based initiatives in South Africa
Cape Leopard Trust Cederberg Project – Using Environmental Education to Create Change Makers
Finding connection, commitment and community in Covid19:
Adriaan Grobler & Alastair Potts
The effect of altered rainfall seasonality on C4 grass establishment in Fynbos and Renosterveld in the Cape Floristic Region.
Hydraulic Segmentation assisting in tree survival post-fire
Investigating vulnerability to cavitation and mortality thresholds in Restionaceae
Local convergence in drought impacts in a diverse Southern African evergreen sclerophyll community
Kristen Nolting & Kent Holsinger
Individual-level leaf trait differences reduce competitive effects within and among species in Proteaceae communities
Species distribution modeling methods predict drastic distribution shifts across South Africa
Functional traits explain the Hutchinsonian niches of plant species
DAY 3
Urban Nature Conservation: People & Nature, Together?
Wildlife winners and losers in the development of Cape Town: factors influencing medium and large mammal species richness in urban nature reserves
Natural and artificial resources for urban nectarivorous birds
The effect of artificial nectar feeders on birds and Erica visitation rate in the Cape Fynbos
Measuring the Success of Conservation Planning using The Cape Flats Core Flora Conservation Programme as a case study
Biodiversity Management Plans for Ecosystems (BMP-Es): an untapped resource for urban biodiversity conservation and management.
Lynette Munro: Biodiversity Offsets – Theory and Practice
Using the ignition catchment concept to predict human impacts on fire
The impact of climate variation on plant flammability of an aseasonal rainfall region.
Annelise Vlok & Kgaugelo Shadung
Fire management under a changing climate in the Swartberg Complex World Heritage Site
A Family in the Fynbos: A 10 year immersive ornithological experience
National Vegetation Map 2021: What to expect, and an opportunity for the Fynbos Forum to contribute to the next version
Prospects for using heated controlled atmosphere treatments as a postharvest disinfestation technique against Proteaceae phytosanitary pests
Jesper Slingsby: EFTEON Symposium
Uploading the Fynbos Forum archives for 2017 is a work in progress. Please bear with us…
Theme:
31 July- 3 August 2017
Organised by the Fynbos Forum Committee
Theme: 31 July- 3 August 2017 Fynbos Forum Booklet with Abstracts
* Conservation/ Threatened Species * Education * Plant-Animal Interactions * Partnerships/ Stewardship * Ecology * Land use/ Spatial Planning: A single GIS product to guide land-use in the Western Cape * Fire Ecology: Why are there no trees in fynbos? * Resource Economics/ Business and Biodiversity * Restoration and Invasives * Aquatics: An awareness and rehabilitation strategy for rivers of the Western Cape.
Theme: Survivor Fynbos 25th to 28th July 2016Pine Lodge, Post Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa Organised by the Fynbos Forum Committee
Theme: Biome Boundaries3rd to 6th August 2015NG Church Hall, Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa
Fynbos Forum Booklet with Paper Abstracts
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Theme: Biome Boundaries
3rd to 6th August 2015
NG Church Hall, Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa
Theme: Biome Boundaries
Organised by the Fynbos Forum Committee
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* Setting the Scene – What the Fynbos Forum is all about? * Fynbos Research: an Eastern Perspective * Stewardship * Urban Conservation * Ecology: Fragmentation & Oxalis Research * Planning * Aquatic & Riparian Ecosystems * Capacity Building & Education * Monitoring & Evaluation * Biological Invasives * Environmental Education * Land Use Planning * Fynbos Forum Research Strategy * Ecology & Ecophysiology * Fynmense.
* Ecology * Partnerships * Fire * Aquatics * Climate: Getting to grips with climate change in the CFR * Restoration: Rehabilitation of alien invaded riparian ecosystems * Conservation: Management of biodiversity in the City of Cape Town * Capacity Building and Education * Invasives * Land use Planning and Policy
* Ecosystem services * Making & breaking patterns * Soils & Nutrients * Fire ecology * Water Water everywhere? * Conservation planning & partnerships * Time to contemplate tea * Restoration * Urban Ecology * Animals in space and time * Partnerships & civil society * Grazing effects & management * Monitoring & Evaluation.
* Pollination Symposium: The importance of pollination related ecosystem services to the Western Cape deciduous fruit industry * Policy: Using evidence from environmental policy and management – a not so obvious choice * Fire: fire management in the Cape Mountains * Stewardship * Sustainable Harvesting * Conservation/ Conservation Planning * Ecology * Education * Aquatics.
* Invasive Alien Species Symposium * Species Level Studies * Resource Utilization * Education & Outreach * Ecology * Environmental Management * Restoration, Fire and Ecology * Conservation Planning and Implementation * Climate Change Adaptation * Wetland Ecosystems.
Find below, a folder tab for each year of the Fynbos Forum from 1992 – 2004. Download the programme for each meeting.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * A background to the global interest in biodiversity and ecosystem function of Mediterranean type ecosystems * Conceptual issues in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning with examples from South Western Australia * Function of biodiversity in Mediterranean ecosystems of Australia * Space and time as determinants of biological diversities in the Mediterranean region * Managing fynbos for biodiversity.
Fire in South African Mountain Fynbos: Ecosystem, Community and Species Response at Swartboskloof by B.W. van Wilgen, D.M.
Left pic: Richardson, F.J. Kruger and H.J. van Hensbergen (Eds). Published by Springer-Verlag, 1992.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * The philosophical background to monitoring * An overview of techniques for fynbos vegetation monitoring * River and wetland monitoring in the fynbos * Climate change and the monitoring in the fynbos region * Monitoring of the physical environment * Review of monitoring interior midlands * The use of remote sensing and GIS to monitor coastal fynbos.
Left pic: Managing Fynbos Catchments for Water, 1993. By C.Boucher & C. Marais.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * The future of nature conservation in the Western Cape * Research programme on flower harvesting in natural fynbos * Plant communities of the coastal fynbos south of George, southern Cape * Ecological data catalogue * Biological control of the Port Jackson willow * The gene bank project for the conservation of fynbos genetic resources * Effects of fragmentation on insect diversity in renoster shrublands.
Left pic: Fynbos research into soil nutrient levels. Credit: Eugene Moll.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Practical & social issues: Communication in the public participation process * The environment & geography: Micro-climatic observations * Monitoring & data management: Monitoring fynbos vegetation with landsat images, the effect of scale * Resource economics: A survey on the extent of the fynbos industry in South Africa * Ecology: Invasion and persistence of bird dispersed, subtropical thicket and forest species in fire-prone fynbos.
Left pic: Professor Kader Asmal launches Working for Water – 1995
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Fynbos Working for Water Project * The urban fringe * Urban conservation: Politics and problems * Conservation of fynbos legumes * Fire in the fynbos * Integrated catchment management: Some lessons from the Working for Water programme * Competitive interactions amongst fynbos plants * Socio-economic challenges.
Left pic: An inventory of sources of data pertaining to the Fynbos Biome, 1996. By C. Boucher, D. Erasmus, C. Marais, DJ McDonald.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Ecology & restoration: Guidelines for fynbos restoration * Education: What is social ecology? * Utilisation: The dryflower industry, a fynbos ecotourism programme for the southern Overberg * Planning: Producing a strategic plan for conservation of biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Left pic: Fynbos research. Credit: Christo Marais
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Ecotourism: Can ecotourism save the Cape Floral Kingdom * Rehabilitation: Advances in fynbos restoration ecology research * Fynbos ecology & reproductive biology: Fire and fynbos – retrospective * Alien management & rehabilitation / restoration: Aliens in the fynbos * Cultivation * Ecophysiology * Conservation planning & Initiatives.
Left pic: Fynbos research. Credit: Christo Marais.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Cape project: Assessing the existing conservation system: gaps and priorities * Alien clearing: Recovery of fynbos vegetation after alien clearing and fire * Conservation priorities in the Cape Flora: Maintenance of biodiversity in the Western Cape * Conservation in the city.
Left pic: Fynbos research. Credit: Christo Marais
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Curiosity research: New Century, new era in fynbos research * Conservation & management: Incentives for private conservation * Development threats: The tragedy of the fynbos * CAPE project: A framework for a strategic and systemic conservation plan for the Cape Floral Kingdom * Management and conservation: Review of invasive alien plant control on the Cape Peninsula.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Fynbos Parties and Partner * Celebrating successes * Conservation planning: An action plan for conservation incentives in SA * Fynbos Research * Aquatic systems: The construction of a fish-ladder in the Olifants River, Gouritz River System * Conservation management * Poster & Paper Session.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Cape in action: Opportunities and challenges of being an active partner * Partnerships: The value of partnerships * Renosterveld conservation and management * Ecology & Systematics * Cape in action, Renosterveld & utilization * Aquatic ecosystems * Policy & legislation * Conservation planning & management.
* CAPE in Action * Ecology & Systematics * Biodiversity & Land-use Planning * Aquatic Ecosystems * Expanding Multi–owned Protected Areas: New Approaches * Towards a research strategy to support CFR conservation * Alien vegetation/Restoration * Education * Groundwater * Modelling * Guidelines for Biodiversity Assessment in EIA’s * Partnerships * Renosterveld/ Lowlands * Utilisation.
* Institutional Partnerships & Development * Economics * Education * Spatial Planning * Biological Invasives * Environmental education processes and priorities in the Fynbos Biome * Biodiversity Guidelines and Land Use Planning * Restoration & Rehabilitation * Aquatic Systems * Stewardship * Monitoring & Evaluation * Applied Research: Flora * The Urban Environment and its impact on Biodiversity Conservation * Applied Research: Terrestrial & Aquatic Fauna.
Find below, a folder tab for each year of the Fynbos Forum from 1979 – 1991. Download the programme for each meeting.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Physical environment of the fynbos biome * Biography and palaeoecology * Vegetation classification and mapping * Local phyto sociological studies * Gradient analysis * Community analysis * Animal ecological studies * Autecological and related studies: Plants * Impact of fire on communities * Invasive plants.
Left pic: Pella Research Project. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Biogeography and palaeoecology * Vegetation: Classification studies and gradient analyses * Invasives plants (Hakea, Pinus, Nasella) in the fynbos biome * Vegetation: Ecophysiological studies * Animal ecological studies * Impact of land-use on ecosystem processes * Vegetation communities and soil forms in the coastal fynbos Pella Research Site * Impact of fire on communities.
Left pic: Pella Research Project. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Biogeography and palaeoecology * Mapping and classification studies * Nutrient cycling studies * Community ecology studies * Impact and management studies: Catchment hydrology, fire and alien vegetation * Poster and display sessions.
Left pic: Swartboschkloof. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: Phenological studies within and adjacent to the fynbos biome: Phenomorphology. * Models of Mediterranean-type ecosystems – fynbos biome: Report on simulation modelling programme. * Poster session and vegetation nomenclature workshop: Briefing session.
Left pic: Hoewhoek. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * History of land use, soils, geomorphology& palaeoecology * Mapping & classification studies * Nutrient cycling and energy budgets *Hydrology & hydrobiology *Community ecology & fire *Alien studies *Conservation working groups *Fynbos model.
Left pic: Pella Research Project. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Palaeoecology – a report on research in the fynbos area * Australian heath and Cape fynbos: similarities & differences * Season of burn in Western Cape fynbos * Aspects of pollination biology in the fynbos biome * Soil nitrogen in Coastal Fynbos * Fynbos vegetation * Plant water relations at the arid fynbos succulent Karoo boundaries *Aspects of biological control of invasive biota in the fynbos biome * Human and cost factors in Renosterveld conservation.
Left pic: Hoewhoek. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Habitat conservation * Habitat conservation and invasive biota * Invasive plants and animals * Catchment management * Catchment management and the Cape flower industry * The Cape flower industry * Panel discussion and conclusion.
Left pic: Fynbos research. Credit: Brian Huntley.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Disturbance regimes: Fire regimes in the fynbos biome * Population responses: Plant life histories, population dynamics and species interactions in relation to disturbance * Implications for community organization and ecosystem functioning: fynbos rodent population dynamics in relation to fire.
Left pic: Hoewhoek. Credit: Brian Huntley
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Reproductive biology * Ecophysiology * Microbiology: Protozoa in two Swartboskloof soils * Poster presentations * Disturbances: The response of mountain fynbos ecosystems to physical disturbance * Island biogeography and theory * Biogeography and evolution: fynbos in relation to the Tropical African vegetation types.
Left pic: Fynbos research. Credit: Eugene Moll.
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Introduction to theme: Man and fynbos * Modern approaches: Alien plant distribution in the south Western Cape * Conservation philosophy * Poster session * Conservation philosophy * Palaeoecology: Environmental change and human activity during the late Quaternary of the Cederberg * Practical considerations for conservation * BioIogical research
Left pic: Team Fynbos. Mr & Mrs Middelmann
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Past achievements and future prospects for research in the fynbos * Nature and environmental conservation: Comparison of fynbos and chaparral * The Cape honeybee and the fynbos * Science and technology, CSIR: The fynbos biome as a biosphere reserve * Poster session * Discussion of future fynbos biome research.
Left pic: Fynbos research Credit: Christo Marais
Sessions covered at this meeting: * Ecological & historical biography * Ecology: Reproductive ecology of fynbos plants * Field excursion – management problems at de Hoop Nature Reserve. Possible solutions * Human impacts and management: The ecology and biogeography of plant and animal invasions; Preservation of biotic diversity and the management of fynbos ecosystems.
Left pic: Invasive species Credit: Eugene Moll.