Ecosystem service modelling & mapping
RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS
Knowledge coproduction
Multi-functional landscapes
Our research enhances understanding of the impacts of land-use change, escpecially related to the impact and management of invasive alien species. We are actively involved in work that identifies and co-designs response strategies to improve the resilience of degraded ecosystems
Degradation & restoration
We focus on understanding the linkages between our natural resources and landscapes, their condition, biodiversity and ecosystem services and human well-being. We use novel mapping and modelling techniques to identify threats, trade-offs and areas of resilience for better understanding the consequences of ecosystem and global change.
We undertake our research in collaboration with diverse stakeholders from both the public and private sector, and work across disicplines in order to co-produce knowledge that is credible, salient and legitimate. Our research enhances both the understanding and process of knowledge exchange and production.
Sustainable multifunctional landscapes are landscapes created and managed to integrate human production and landscape use into the ecological fabric of a landscape maintaining critical ecosystem function, service flows and biodiversity retention.
Policy & practice
A large part of our work focuses on integrating our research into decision making processes that inform both policy and practice related to enhancing social-ecological system governance, especially related to development planning.
We work with our water quality colleagues on understanding how land-use and management practices and alien plant invasions affect river and wetland ecosystems and their water flow and quality regulation services. We use this knowledge to work with stakeholders in identifying options for addressing these impacts.
Water security
Africa is urbanising faster than any other continent in history. Accompanying infrastructural investments affect how landscapes are managed and utilise and this affects the provision of ecosystem services both within cities as well in those areas that sustain these centers.
Sustainable cities
Our research on social-ecological systems centres on understanding this co-production of ecosystem services, as well as developing methods to identify and map social-ecological systems in the landscape.
Social-ecological systems analysis
The risk and resilience research has two primary focus areas 1) to understand and describe the socio-ecological risk landscape-spatially, temporally and systematically and 2) to understand and describe the status and main drivers of socio-ecological resilience within these landscapes.
Risk & Resilience
Poverty alleviation is an important development focus area both nationally and globally. Ecosystem services have an important role to play in reducing poverty but the mechanisms are not fully understood.
Poverty alleviation
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services group at the CSIR is focussed on understanding social-ecological systems within Southern Africa, and in particular, the key drivers that shape these systems. We are deepening our understanding of the impacts of poverty and inequality, landscape degradation and rapid urbanisation on environmental risks and resource scarcity. We apply multiple and varied methods in generating this understanding, ranging from the modelling and mapping ecosystem services, undertaking risk assessments, assessing the evidence base and engaging stakeholders in the co-production of knowledge and solutions. Our research is geared towards both advancing scientific understanding and generating practical tools, outputs and outcomes in the form of inputs into policy and land-use planning and management guidelines, actions and opportunities. View our conceptual framework here
Our research focuses on the following research areas:
