South Africa’s Forestry researchers and institutions are world-leaders
The Forestry South Africa (FSA) online seminar in March provided a platform for a few of the forestry sector’s leading researchers and industry representatives to present an overview of the cross-disciplinary FSA-funded research programmes and projects funded by the state’s Sector Innovation Fund.
Dr Ronald Heath, FSA director of research and protection, said, “Over the past 40 years, there has been an increase in plantation area of 8% and an increase in production of 53%. It is purely due to implementing excellent collaborative research between research and industry partners”.
FLIC BLAKEWAY
In her keynote address, Flic Blakeway of the National Forestry Advisory Council described the increasing vulnerability of the sector in the face of challenges, including climate change and extreme weather events creating fertile ground for a suite of invasive species and pests.
“More complex challenges are conflict over land use, social, policy, regulatory issues, global market demands, fire risk, waste reduction and circular economy practices”, she commented. However, looking forward, it is critical to include adaptive management strategies to manage water scarcity and the impact of climate change on plantation ecosystems.
“It is important to improve tree genetics and sustainable forest management practices. There’s never been a greater sense of urgency for R&D to understand the impact of climate change on plantations and mitigation”, Blakeway said.
She urged researchers to collaborate with each other, industry stakeholders, policymakers and local communities.
“Communicate science in a compelling and exciting way to convince funding organisations and the government to consider the consequences of not investing in R&D. It is crucial for the growth and success of the plantation forestry sector and the national economy”.
DR YOLANDI ERNST
Dr Yolandi Ernst of the Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, presented an overview of research into climate change. The Forestry Resource Resilience Platform identifies and develops adaptation measures to enhance resource resilience, reduce risk, and increase the sustainability of the forestry sector in a climate-uncertain future.
The platform has three working programmes:
- Develop genetic screening tools for climate change adaptation and recovery.
- Implementing the eucalyptus IMPACT Open Air Laboratory.
- Eucalyptus landscape genomics.
The programme is part of the 10,000 Eucalypt Genomes Initiative (10KEGI). - Climate data modelling and accessibility.
DR NKOSINATHI KAPTEIN
Dr Nkosinathi Kaptein of the University of Mpumalanga presented the case for revisiting the old research that provided the basis for declaring commercial plantations a Streamflow Reduction Activity (SFRA) and regulated through water use licensing.
The SFRA is based on Eucalyptus grandis, Pinus patula and Acacia mearnsii. However, there are new genotypes today, including E. dunnii, E. grandis x E. urophylla, and E. grandis x E. nitens clonal hybrids. There is limited water-use knowledge on species currently planted by the forestry industry.
PROF BEN DU TOIT
Prof Ben du Toit of Stellenbosch University described research investigating the effectiveness of combatting wildfires in SA plantation forests using multi-faceted fuel load reduction measures. These are slash burning (± R700/ha), repeated under canopy burning (± R700/ha), discing under trees (± R1,200/ha) and slash mulching (± 7,600/ha – R9,600/ha).
He said slash burning should not be a default option unless the forester can ensure that burning is limited to an optimum site and climatic conditions. He presented a proposal for a matrix of strict guidelines for slash burning.
Du Toit’s second project considers changes in soil carbon stocks and dead organic matter over 60 years following the afforestation of grasslands with pine, gum, and wattle plantations.
JOHANNES VAN DER WATH
Sappi’s Johannes van der Wath presented progress on establishing a baseline for carbon stock availability in grassland vegetation types within forestry open and fire break areas managed for fuel load reduction. The project also investigates how fire management activities impact carbon loss and non-CO2 GHG emissions through burning and measuring biomass returns to develop improved fire management practices.
PROF ILARIA GERMISHUIZEN
Prof Ilaria Germishuizen of the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR) described the long-term soil monitoring network as a flagship sustainability project for better forest management. The profitability of the forestry industry relies on its ability to predict, detect and rapidly respond to climate change.
PROF BRUCE TALBOT
Prof Bruce Talbot of Stellenbosch University presented progress on the forest management and remote sensing project. Forestry is ideal for airborn, static or ground-based remote sensing, and several overlapping study areas exist for imagery, LiDAR and artificial intelligence. He suggested that a robotic dog could be the future of autonomous ground-based measurement.
JACQUI MEYER
Jacqui Meyer of the Timber Industry Pesticide Working Group (TIPWG) discussed the precision forestry approach to modernising pesticide testing, availability, and sustainable use across the forestry sector.
PROF BERNARD SLIPPERS
Prof Bernard Slippers of the Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) presented an update on the Tree Protection Platform and implementing precision pest management.
It is a locally developed data management and integration platform that connects the dots for early warning pattern analysis and decision-making. It produces powerful, collated real-time data maps of insect pests, pathogens and diseases in an integrated national forest protection strategy.
He also explained how technology transforms the Institute’s extensive fungal culture collection. The collection is being digitised to develop a high-throughput, high-accuracy molecular diagnosis, a ‘frontier tool’ for diagnostics.
Slippers said the TPCP is over 35 years old, and “we have a good handle on all pests and pathogens in SA and their response to climate change, distribution and lifecycle. The strength of TPCP is its incredible international network that has often assisted in investigating pathogens before they arrive in the country”.
Source: WoodBiz Africa Magazine – March 2024 (Pages 18 – 19)
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