Investigation Soil Feeding Activity in Eucalyptus Plantations
Michelle Eckert’s research focused on advancing the use of the bait-lamina test, a well-established, non-destructive method for quantifying soil feeding activity by soil fauna in Eucalyptus plantations. By inserting bait-filled plastic strips into the soil profile, the technique provides an integrative measure of below-ground biological activity across sites and treatments. Michelle Eckert conducted a field […]
Soil & Nutrient Dynamics
Athini Buqa is registered in soil sciences, supervised by profs Ailsa Hardie-Peters, Cathy Clarke and David Drew. Her research investigates how Eucalyptus species and planting density influence soil nutrient dynamics under Mediterranean climate conditions in the Western Cape. Based at the IMPACT Open-Air Lab long-term field experiment at Lourensford, her work tracks seasonal changes in […]
Leaf Traits and Biotic Stress Responses in Eucalyptus
Stacey Marinus is a postgraduate student at EucXylo investigating how leaf traits influence pest interactions in young Eucalyptus species. Her research focuses on analysing both morphological and chemical leaf characteristics to better understand how these traits shape pest dynamics. In addition, her work explores the hydraulic and physiological responses of Eucalyptus to biotic stress, providing […]
Eucalyptus Growth Responses to Planting Density
Kudzai Kundishora is a postgraduate student at EucXylo investigating the effects of planting density on the early growth of four Eucalyptus species at the IMPACT Open Air Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding how species-specific responses interact with spacing to influence growth dynamics, with the broader aim of informing more sustainable and efficient Eucalyptus production […]
Advancing Eucalyptus Stress Physiology and Field-Based Innovation: Ofentse Mathibela Joins EucXylo
Ofentse Mathibela is a postdoctoral fellow with EucXylo, working under the leadership of Prof David Drew. Her research focuses on understanding how Eucalyptus trees respond to environmental and biological stressors under field conditions, with particular emphasis on drought, insect pests, and pathogens. She plays a central role in the development and management of the INSPIRE […]
Advancing Vegetation Monitoring with Drone-Based AI
Anathi, a researcher in the Department of Forest and Wood Science, is using drone imagery and machine learning to exploring innovative ways to monitor and manage young plantation systems. Her project analyses orthomosaic data to assess how competing vegetation varies across different planting spacings, tree heights, and terrain conditions, incorporating environmental factors such as the […]
Advancing Forest Canopy Research with Terrestrial Laser Scanning
Maria D. Perles-Garcia is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in forest ecology, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and remote sensing technologies. Her research focuses on understanding the three-dimensional structure of forest canopies and how biodiversity, climate variability, and disturbance regimes shape the spatial and temporal dynamics of canopy space. By using high-resolution 3D laser scanning data, her […]
EucXylo Research Highlights: Publications from 2025
In 2025, EucXylo researchers, students, and alumni contributed to peer-reviewed publications across leading international journals. Together, these studies advance our understanding of Eucalyptus growth, wood formation, and drought resilience across multiple biological scales. Below are some of the publications of 2025. UnderstandinPhysiological and morphological responses of Eucalyptus to drought Singini, Eckert & Drew (2025) – […]
Celebrating New Graduates: December 2025
The EucXylo team at the Department of Forest and Wood Science (DFWS), Stellenbosch University, is delighted to extend heartiest congratulations to two outstanding individuals who have just completed their postgraduate research with distinction: Their success highlights the strength and vitality of our research community, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. Spotlight on Their […]
EucXylo Researcher Wins International Award for Low-Cost Wireless Dendrometer System
We are pleased to congratulate Chris Erasmus on receiving an award at the FAO World Food Forum, held at the FAO headquarters in Rome. The award acknowledges his work on developing a low-cost wireless dendrometer and environmental sensing system designed to support precision forestry. The system enables researchers and foresters to collect accurate, near real-time, […]
