Justin du Toit

TL;DR: A critical test of whether the functional traits that drive the well-known relationship between precipitation and ANPP differ between systems with distinct biogeographic histories and species assemblages is evaluated and demonstrates that different combinations of functional traits can act to maximize ANPP in a given environmental setting.

TL;DR: Positive feedbacks between encroaching woody plants and soil fertility in two co-occurring shrub species at three sites were tested and it was found that soil nutrient concentrations were usually related to shrub size rather than the species.

TL;DR: In this paper, compositional and structural effects of fire on a grassy dwarf shrubland were examined and the dominant pre-fire shrub Eriocephalus ericoides was extirpated by the fire, as was the unpalatable and sometimes invasive Ruschia intricata.

TL;DR: Rainfall and grazing are primary drivers of vegetation composition in the Nama-Karoo as mentioned in this paper, and increased rainfall increases grassiness, to where Nama Karoo transitions to grassland.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the limitation of current approaches for developing management relevant socio-ecological information on the projected impacts of climate change and human activities, and emphasise the need for linking disciplines and approaches by expounding the methodology followed in two consecutive projects.