The common thread across my research is a focus on ecological-adjacent questions that have direct relevance for conservation and management. Much of my work is aimed at producing spatial and analytical layers that can support decision-makers in better protecting, conserving, and restoring biodiversity.
I use whichever approaches are most appropriate to the question at hand, often combining ecological systems thinking with applied remote sensing, machine learning, statistical analysis, and hydrological modelling. Underpinning all of this is a strong emphasis on field-based validation—ground-truthing what we map and model, and explicitly engaging with uncertainty.
My current major projects build on techniques our team has refined over the past five years, including the development of a national alien tree map and a national map of homogeneous bush. The latter will identify areas that will need to be studied in more detail, with the goal of improved mapping and understanding of bush encroachment. I have also worked to address a critical gap in ecological restoration and nature-based solutions: funding. In this context, my team has helped to improve the quantification of the water-related impacts of alien trees relative to indigenous bush, with the aim of supporting water-bond mechanisms. In parallel, we have developed an algorithm to map woody plant biomass, which could help unlock finance linked to green biofuels. Together with collaborators, we are also improving understanding of how invasive alien trees alter fire regimes, with the goal of supporting wildfire management.
I have applied similar approaches to flood mapping, including the assessment of flood extent to inform risk reduction and planning tools such as flood lines. This is an area I am increasingly involved in, and I am currently expanding collaborations with colleagues in agrometeorology to explore improvements in early warning systems for floods in South Africa. I have also worked on flood impacts in wetlands and on landslide risk, using statistical approaches to better understand susceptibility in the Cape Floristic Region.
Wetland ecology and restoration remain central to my research. I have been working on wetland systems, particularly peatlands, since my PhD, and I am now leading a five-year project focused on water and carbon dynamics in peatlands, alongside ecological restoration experiments to quantify the benefits of restoration for ecosystem function.
Another key research theme involves using hydrological modelling to address similar questions. For example, I have worked on modelling the impacts of invasive alien trees on streamflow. This line of work has, in part, driven other projects, particularly through highlighting the need for improved input layers and the limitations of how certain processes are represented in both locally and globally developed models. Our consortium has since undertaken several projects examining structural model uncertainty, model-user uncertainty, and broader challenges in using hydrological models for water resource management. This is important given the reliance of water resource management on hydrological models in South Africa. Our current work explores how integrating remote sensing-derived hydrological products—such as evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and groundwater—may reduce uncertainty, as well as assessing the suitability of global runoff models for application in data-scarce regions.
Alongside my research, I am passionate about communicating science, particularly ecological principles, to broader audiences. As such, I have been involved in a number of science dissemination projects. Three of these projects have resulted in five short films spanning topics from fynbos restoration and conservation to peatland fire management.
Please take a look at the Projects tab if you would like to learn more about the specific research projects my lab is involved in. If you would like to get involved in our research, please feel free to reach out.