Pasture Scientist at Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform

I have 12 years vocational experience as plant ecologist.  I started my career in 2000 at a mine rehabilitation company, ECO REHAB, which was affiliated with the North West University in Potchefstroom.  At ECO REHAB I was responsible for botanical surveys and the collection and propagation of indigenous trees for mine rehabilitation.  In 2002 I was awarded a post doctoral scholarship at the University of North West to assist post graduate students with research and to conduct research on organic waste materials (sludge materials, wood chips and vermicompost) as ameliorants for mine rehabilitation.  In 2003 I was appointed at the Agricultural Research Council – Institute for Soil Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW) as Senior Scientist.  Since then my work and research has shifted to an agricultural focus using remote sensing and GIS as tools in ecological research.  The position at the ARC gave me the opportunity to gain skills in GIS and remote sensing.  As from November 2007 I am employed as Pasture Scientist at Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform.  My current responsibilities include pasture research focusing on rangeland ecology.  I also act as curator of the Döhne Herbarium.  Most of my current research focus on the biomass production of grasslands and Nama-Karoo vegetation.  A large percentage of my time is also spend on species surveys for farmers and extension services to assess their veld.  As senior scientist I also assist in mentoring junior staff, the administration of research activities e.g. secretary of the Departmental Research Committee, editor for departmental semi-scientific journal and compiler of annual research reports for Pasture Section.

I have published 15 scientific papers in national and international journals, 7 papers in semi-scientific journals and I have presented 31 platform & posters at numerous national congresses e.g. SAAB, GSSA.

I have acted as external examiner for two MSc studies.

Contact Details
Döhne ADI
Private Bag X15
Stutterheim
4930

Tel nr: (043) 6835448
Email: theunis.morgenthal@agr.ecprov.gov.za

Scientific Publications

• Morgenthal, T.L.; Cilliers, S.S. 1999. Vegetation analysis of Pedlar’s Bush, Mpumalanga, and its conservation. South African Journal of Botany, 64:270-280.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Cilliers, S.S., Kellner, K., van Hamburg, H. & Michael, M.D. 1999. The use of ordination techniques for the evaluation of rehabilitation success of ash dams associated with coal driven power stations (Afr.) Die Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie, 18: 106-115.
• Morgenthal, T.L. & Cilliers, S.S. 2000. Species composition and phytogeography of an afromontane forest fragment in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. South African Forestry Journal, 189: 81-102.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Cilliers, S.S., Kellner, K., van Hamburg, H. & Michael, M.D. 2001. The vegetation of ash disposal sites at Hendrina Power Station I: phytosociology. South African Journal of Botany, 67: 506-519.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Cilliers, S.S., Kellner, K., van Hamburg, H. & Michael, M.D. 2001. The vegetation of ash disposal sites at Hendrina Power Station II: floristic composition. South African Journal of Botany, 67, 520-532.
• Terblanche, R.T., Morgenthal, T.L. & Cilliers, S.S. 2003. The vegetation of three localities of the threatened butterfly species Chrysoritis aureus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Koedoe, 46: 73-90
• Van Rensburg, L. and Morgenthal T.L. 2003. The evaluation of water treatment sludge as ameliorant for acid mine waste. Journal of Environmental Quality, 32: 1658-1668.
• Van Rensburg, T.L., Morgenthal, T.L., Van Hamburg, H. & Michael, M.D. 2003. A comparative analysis of the vegetation and topsoil cover nutrient status between two similarly rehabilitated ash disposal sites. The Environmentalist, 23: 285-295.
• Morgenthal, T.L. & Van Rensburg, L. 2004. Ecosystem development on seven rehabilitated discard dumps. African Journal of Range and Forage Science, 21: 57-66
• Morgenthal, T.L. & Van Rensburg, L. 2004. The effect of woodchip waste on vegetation establishment during platinum tailings rehabilitation. South African Journal of Science, 100: 294-300.
• Morgenthal, T.L. Maboeta, M. and Van Rensburg, L. 2004. Revegetation of heavy metal contaminated mine dumps using locally serpentine adapted grassland species. South African Journal of Botany, 70: 1-7.
• Van Rensburg, L. Maboeta, M.S., Morgenthal, T.L. 2004. Rehabilitation of Co-disposal diamond tailings: Growth medium rectification procedures and indigenous grass establishment. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 154: 101-113.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Kellner, K., Van Rensburg, L., Newby, T.S., Van der Merwe, J.P.A. 2005. Vegetation and habitat types of the Umkhanyakude Node. South African Journal of Botany, 72: 1-10.
• Le Roux, J.J., Morgenthal, T.L., Malherbe, J., Pretorius, D.J. & Summer, P.D. 2008. Water Erosion prediction at a national scale for South Africa. Water SA, 34:305-314.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Conradie, P.W., Jordaan, G., Gulwa, U., Ballard, N. & Howieson, J. 2013. Improving grassland quality in communal arable lands in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Proceedings of the International grassland Congress, 22: 1647-1651.

CONGRESS PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS

• Morgenthal, T.L.; Cilliers, L.L. 1996. ‘n Fitososiologiese ondersoek van Pedlar’s Bush, Mpumalanga. Poster at the annual congress of the Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, Afdeling Biologie held at the Medical School (University of Pretoria), Pretoria.
• Morgenthal, T.L.; Cilliers, S.S.; Kellner, K. & van Hamburg, H. 1997. ‘n Floristiese analise van drie gerehabiliteerde asdamme in die Hendrina omgewing. Poster at the annual congress of the Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, Afdeling Biologie held at the Potchefstroom University for CHE, Potchefstroom.
• Morgenthal, T.L.; Cilliers, S.S.; Kellner, K. & van Hamburg, H. 1998. Vegetation analysis of rehabilitated ash dams at Hendrina Power Station. Poster at the annual congress of the South African Association of Botanist held at the University of Cape Town, Cape Town.
• Morgenthal, T.L.; Cilliers, S.S.; Kellner, K. & van Hamburg, H. 1998. Die gebruik van ordeningstegnieke vir die evaluering van rehabilitering op asdamme geassosieerd met steenkool-gedrewe kragstasies. Paper presented at the annual congress of the Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, Afdeling Biologie held at the University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
• Van Hamburg, H., Bronner, G.D., Morgenthal, T.L., Kotzé, J.J. & Michael, M.D. 1998. Bio-evaluation of rehabilitation success on ash disposal sites, associated with Power Stations in South Africa. Paper presented at the Eight Annual Meeting of SETAC Europe, Bordeaux.
• Morgenthal, T.L. Cilliers S.S., Kellner K., van Hamburg H. & Michael M.D. 1999. A Canonical Correspondence Analysis of selected environmental conditions on the vegetation of rehabilitated ash dams. Poster presented at the 34th congress of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Warmbaths.
• Terblaunce, R. & Morgenthal, T.L. 1999. A vegetation analysis of three localities of the red data book butterfly species Chrysoritis aureus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Paper presented at the 2nd International Lepidopterists’ Conference of Africa, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Cilliers, S.S., Kellner, K., van Hamburg, H. & Michael, M.D. 2000. Biomass production of selected grass species on rehabilitated ash disposal sites. (Afr.) Paper presented at the annual congress of Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, Technikon SA, Johannesburg.
• Morgenthal, T.L.; Cilliers, S.S.; Kellner, K.; van Hamburg, H. & Michael, M.D. 2000. Plant community dynamics on rehabilitated ash disposal sites at Hendrina Power Station. Paper presented at the 26th annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists, Potchefstroom.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Van Rensburg, L., Van Hamburg, H., Michael, M. 2002. A comparison of plant and soil characteristics between ash disposal sites at Hendrina and Matla Power Station. Paper presented at the 28th annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists, Grahamstown.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Van Rensburg, L. Van der Walt, K. & Meyer, R. 2003. An evaluation of topsoil quality on managed coal discard dumps. Paper presented at the 5th biennial conference of the Society of South African Geographers, Bloemfontein during 21-23 September 2003.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Kellner, K., Van Rensburg, L. & Newby, T.S. 2005. Vegetation and habitat types of the OR Tambo Node. Eastern Cape, South Africa. Poster presented at the 31st annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists, Bloemfontein during 10-14 January 2005.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Kellner, K., Van Rensburg, L. & Newby, T.S. 2005. Vegetation and habitat types of the Umkhanyakude Node. Eastern Cape, South Africa. Poster presented at the 31st annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists, Bloemfontein during 10-14 January 2005.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Newby, T., Pretorius, D. 2005. A national long-term grazing capacity map for South Africa based on NOAA (AVHRR) satellite derived data. Poster presented at the Namaqualand Colloquium, Springbok during 24-26 May 2005.
• Morgenthal, T.L., & Newby T.S. 2006. The use of coarse resolution satellite data to measure vegetation cover in South Africa. Poster presented at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanist, Port Elizabeth during 16-19 January 2006.
• Morgenthal, T.L., & Newby T.S. 2006. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa, Bela Bela during 17-21 July 2006.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Kellner, K. & Pretorius, D.J. 2007. The development of a uniform ecological survey methodology for a national fix point monitoring system. Poster presented at the annual Arid Zone Ecological Forum, Sutherland during 10-13 September 2007.
• Ngwenyama, B., Pretorius, D.J. & Morgenthal, T.L. 2007. New National Norms for Grazing Capacity in South Africa. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Grahamstown, during 16-20 July 2007.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Kellner, K., Pretorius, D.J. 2008. Proposed vegetation survey methodology for fixed site monitoring in South Africa “FIXMOVE”. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Badplaas, during 21 – 25 July 2008.
• Conradie, P.W., Trethewey, C., Morgenthal, T.L. 2009. Extreme grazing pressure as an additional treatment in the long-term grazing trial at Adelaide. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Roodepoort, during 20 – 25 July 2009
• Kellner, K., Wiegand, K., Hanss, S. & Morgenthal, T.L. 2009. Semi-arid savanna rangeland degradation and management landscape scale model. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Roodepoort, during 20 – 25 July 2009.
• Morgenthal T.L. 2011. Improving grazing capacity norms using new vegetation type data for Southern Africa. Poster presented at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanist, Grahamstown, during 17-19 January 2011.
• Morgenthal T.L. 2011. Using MODIS NDVI as a measure of grazing capacity on a regional Scale. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Grootfontein ADI, during 11 – 15 July 2011.
• Trethewey, C., Morgenthal, T.L. & Conradie, P.W. 2011. Influence of different veld management strategies on animal weight gain within a fourteen year trial in Eastern Cape False Thornveld. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Grootfontein ADI, during 11 – 15 July 2011.
• Morgenthal, T.L. & Trethewey, C. 2011. Vegetation dynamics within a fourteen year veld management trial in the Eastern Cape False Thornveld. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Grassland Society of South Africa, Grootfontein ADI, during 11 – 15 July 2011.
• Meyer, L., Morgenthal, T.L. & Raath, J. 2011. The identification of reasonably homogenous farming areas for dry land maize production in the Amahlati Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape. Poster presented at the South African Society of Agricultural Technologists, Knysna, during 13 – 15 September 2011.
• Morgenthal, TL. 2012. The role of land cover change on natural resource degradation in communal land. Paper presented at the Society for South African Geographers, Cape Town, during 21 -22 June 2012.
• Trethewey, C. & Morgenthal, T.L. 2012. Influence of different veld management strategies on biomass production within a 16 year trial in the False Thornveld of the Eastern Cape. Poster presented at the annual congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa, Club Mykonos, during 17 – 19 July 2012.
• Morgenthal, T.L. & Trethewey, C. 2012. A pilot study on the value of karroid species for grazing in semi-arid savanna and thicket. Poster presented at the annual congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa, Club Mykonos, during 17 – 19 July 2012.
• Morgenthal, T.L. & Jokani, N. 2012. Analysis of remotely sensed data to estimate above ground biomass production along a rainfall gradient in the Eastern Cape. Paper presented at the annual congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa, Club Mykonos, during 17 – 19 July 2012.
• Morgenthal, T.L., Conradie, P.W., Jordaan, G., Gulwa, U., Ballard, N. & Howieson, J. 2013. Improving grassland quality in communal arable lands in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Paper presented at the International grassland Congress, Sydney, Australia, during 15 – 19 September 2013.