My background is in ecology; I am particularly interested in rangeland management and restoration ecology. In my master’s thesis, I studied the impacts of large herbivores on vegetation and soils around watering points in Waterberg Plateau Park, Namibia. After completing my master’s, I worked as an ecology lecturer at the University of Namibia. There, I had the chance to supervise undergraduate student projects, where we employed different methods to determine rangeland condition on a farm owned by the University of Namibia. I also had the honour of attending a six-month training course in land restoration, in Iceland, amongst other short courses.
I believe all of the above prepared me well for my PhD, in which I am investigating the effect of climate change and elevated CO2 on shrub encroachment and the balance between herbaceous and woody plants in (Namibian) savanna ecosystems. This is particularly important to Namibia, as it might have serious implication on the already limited rangelands in the arid country. For my PhD, I chose to combine field experiments, which are more realistic, but with little control over all conditions, with more controlled experiments in greenhouses and climate chambers.
