Honours Students
Matthew Moir
Room 204, 3rd floor
The pollination of Brownleea recurvata: is a complete understanding of the pollinator-driven divergence of the genus Brownleea within grasp?
My honours project will focus on the reproductive biology of the orchid Brownleea recurvata. I aim to document the pollination, breeding systems and reproductive traits of the plant in order to fill a gap in our understanding of this small genus. These findings will be placed in an evolutionary context and mapped onto a revised phylogeny of the Brownleea group, which includes a total of 7 species with 6 occurring in South Africa.
Supervisors: Prof Craig Peter and Dr Ethan Newman
Kaelin du Plessis (BSc, RU)
Room 204, 2nd floor
C3 and C4 grass root scavenging and distribution at ambient and elevated CO2.
My Honours project will investigate how elevated CO2 levels influence the root biomass distribution in C3 and C4 subtypes of Allotoropsis semialata. I will grow C3 and C4 individuals under ambient and elevated CO2 while providing nutrients asymmetrically. After the growing season, I will calculate the scavenging index by measuring the root biomass distribution. My project holds implications for the response of grassy savanna ecosystems to future climate change.
Supervisor: Prof Brad Ripley
Last Modified: Wed, 15 Feb 2023 11:44:18 SAST