CIB DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

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Student & Research Support

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The C·I·B is an inter-institutional Centre of Excellence established in 2004 within the DST-NRF Centres of Excellence Programme. Its members undertake research on the biodiversity consequences of biological invasions, largely through post-graduate student training. The principal aims of the Centre's work are to reduce the rates and impacts of biological invasions by furthering scientific understanding and predictive capability, and by developing research capacity.

The C·I·B has its physical home at the University of Stellenbosch, but comprises a network of senior researchers and their associated postdoctoral associates and graduate students throughout South Africa. Find out more about us.

Biological Invasion-Related Events

23 – 27 August 2009
10th International Conference on the Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions (EMAPi 10)
» download flyer (pdf 340kb)
13 – 16 October 2009
2nd Diversitas Open Science Conference, Cape Town SA
2 – 6 November 2009
International Congress on Biological Invasions, Fuzhou China

Past CIB Events

12 – 14 November 2008
”Fifty years of invasion ecology – the legacy of Charles Elton”

Post-doctoral position

( Large-Scale Ecosystem Functioning )

Understanding the effects of climate change and land use on ecosystem functioning is a challenging question addressed by the team of environmental and biological scientists on the BIOTA-AFRICA project. As part of the BIOTA-Southern Africa (Phase III) project, this post-doctoral fellowship will entail analyzing the long-term data collated over the past 8 years from 35 observatories and 800 sub-sites across the southern African transect.

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In support of our vision, we are offering bursaries to students who are studying towards an Honours, Masters or Doctoral degree in biodiversity, environmental sociology or invasion biology. Click on links to the left to find out more about the support and bursaries that are on offer.

News

14 January 2009

Removing invasive feral cats from sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island has caused environmental devastation that will cost at least A$24 million to remedy, ecologists have revealed. Writing in the new issue of the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology they warn that conservation agencies worldwide must learn important lessons from what happened on Macquarie Island.

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12 January 2009

Many Australian acacia species have been introduced to South Africa, mostly during the 1850s. These species were introduced for many purposes including stabilizing sand dunes, and to produce bark for tanning. Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) is an important forestry crop, blackwood (A. melanoxylon) produces high-quality timber for furniture, and rooikrans (A. cyclops) produces good wood for barbeques and pizza ovens.

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12 December 2008

No less than nine post-graduate students from the Centre for Invasion Biology received their degrees at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Science graduation ceremony on Thursday, 11 December.

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28 November 2008

Between 12 and 14 November 2008, The Centre for Invasion Biology hosted some of the World’s top invasion scientists at its international symposium entitled ‘Fifty Years of Invasion Ecology – The Legacy of Charles Elton’.

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