Professor Catherine Parr has broad interests –her research combines community ecology, biodiversity conservation, disturbance ecology, ecosystem ecology and invasive species, with a particular focus on invertebrates. The driving force behind her research is a desire to understand how biodiversity is maintained and how its loss affects ecosystem structure and function. Apart from loving ecology, she has a particular fondness for Marmite, cricket, Tintin, and bright blue skies.
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The University of Pretoria (UP) recently participated in an international study led by the University of Miami to investigate termite and microbial wood discovery and decay. Termites release carbon from the wood as methane and carbon dioxide, which are two of the most important greenhouse gases and may increasingly contribute to greenhouse-gas emissions with climate change.
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Through this study, researchers learned that termites are pivotal when it comes to breaking down wood, contributing to the earth’s carbon cycle. They also discovered that termites are significantly sensitive to temperature and rainfall; this means that as temperatures rise, the insect’s role in wood decay will likely expand beyond the tropics.
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