Featured Research: Sustainability

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Southern Ocean fact sheet

Did you know that 70% of the world's freshwater is held in Antarctica's ice? This is just one of the reasons why the Southern Ocean around Antarctica needs urgent protection. Learn more Southern Ocean facts with this infographic.

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Save our seas

Climate change and commercial fishing is putting Earth’s most southern waters – and the planet itself – at risk. UP macro-ecologist Dr Luis Pertierra has joined the global call to better protect the Southern Ocean by banning fishing in Antarctic waters, among other measures.

Talking Point

South Africa’s small-scale farmers still can’t find a place in the food value chain

Value addition is a central theme in agriculture. The concept involves adding value at every step, from production to delivery of a product. This creates opportunities for farmers and companies to find competitive advantages. It also has the potential to improve food security and create employment.

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UP part of international study that reveals role of termites in earth’s carbon cycle

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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Termites' sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rate

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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Smallholder farmers are aware of climate change, but are still struggling to adapt

Smallholder farmers are the most in touch with the earth’s changing climate patterns, and they are the most vulnerable to increased temperatures and reduced rainfall.