Roots, Rain, and Resilience: Sampling shenanigans in the grasslands of South Africa

Global Grassy Group Update 

Two budding researchers Elaine Slooten and Eulalia Jordaan, from NWU in South Africa embarked on a two-month sampling journey to gather soil and floristic data. This expedition was part of the FEFA program for their MSc’s, supported by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, Frances Siebert (NWU), and Sally Archibald.

The aim of this research is to determine to which degree the floristic and functional diversity, as well as the carbon stocks (including soil – and plant organic carbon), of Highveld grasslands in South Africa can recover after being ploughed.