Prof Klaus Kellner
Prof Dr Klaus Kellner is a C3 rated researcher by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa, in the field “Conservation and Management of Ecosystems and Biodiversity”.
He has been working at the North-West University since 1988, as lecturer, mentor, supervisor and researcher and has supervised and co-supervised many post-graduate studies. His fields of expertise include vegetation dynamics, land degradation and desertification, restoration/rehabilitation ecology, range condition assessment and the implementation of sustainable land management (SLM) practices in mainly the arid- and semi-arid lands. The impacts of climate, different land-use strategies, loss in biodiversity, vegetation regression and anthropogenic factors, are used to identify indicators for the construction of simulation models for long-term decision making. The effects of implementing restoration/rehabilitation strategies, especially after the impact of ecosystem disturbances and factors leading to land degradation ((e.g. bush encroachment (increase in density of woody species) after being controlled/cleared, occurrence of alien and indigenous species invasions, anthropogenic and implementation of mismanagement practices)) are researched and sustainable management strategies proposed.
Prof Dr Kellner is currently or was the leader and Principal Investigator (PI) of several International projects carried out in Southern Africa. This includes the “Rangeland Improvement through Bush Control and Sustainable Intensification to mitigate Climate Change and Improve Livelihoods and Food security in Southern Africa (RIBS)” project, which is funded by the Southern African Science Services Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL 2.0), Germany. He is responsible for research carried out in South Africa and Namibia for RIBS.
