Berndt Janse Van Rensburg

Terrestrial ecology

My research interests span a broad range of topics, including biogeographic and macroecological studies, spatial ecology, invasion biology and the integration of these fields. I therefore have a general interest to understand the mechanisms, both biological and anthropogenic, that account for changes in environmental variables and that translate into altered patterns in the distribution of biodiversity. Understanding such patterns at different spatial scales while considering different taxonomic groups is in my opinion an important component of efficient conservation planning. I also have a major interest in topics related to conservation focusing on the identification of bioindicator species that may reflect some measure of the character of the habitat within which they are found. As coordinator of the Masters of Conservation Biology course, I will be responsible for the development and running of the course. I hold an Extra-ordinary Professor position with the University of Pretoria (Dept. Zoology & Entomology).