15:30-17:00 Registration & Putting up posters

17:00-17:30 Briefing Session

17:30-18:15 Slide Show: Knersvlakte by Kobus Kritzinger

19:00 Cocktails

07:45-08:15 Late Registration

08:15-08:30 Welcome – Klaus Kellner

SESSION 1 : Veld Utilization and Management

(Chairperson: Prof Sue Milton)

08:30-08:50 Keynote speaker: The Succulent Karoo in a Global Context - Phil Rundel

08:50-09:10 Assessing the importance of Karoo Koppies – an overview of a multidisciplinary project in the Nama Karoo - KJ Esler

09:10-09:30 Plant biodiversity along altitudinal gradients in the Middelburg district: how valuable are those isolated koppies? – E Pienaar & KJ Esler

09:30-09:50 The predictive value of germination trials in assessing restoration potential of degraded rangelands in the eastern Nama Karoo -L Jones & KJ Esler

09:50-10:00 Poster: Vegetation, soil and grazing relationships in the Middelburg region of the Eastern Cape - N Hendricks & KJ Esler

10:00-10:10 Poster: The regeneration potential of Themeda triandra in Middelburg region of the Eastern Cape - N Hendricks & KJ Esler

10:10-10:40 TEA / COFFEE

10:40-10:50 Poster: Drought risk in the Nama Karoo - WvD Botha / DJ Olivier & L de Bruyn

10:50-11:00 Poster: The use and valuation of natural fuelwood resources in Paulshoek, Namaqualand and assessment of impact on ecological processes - Anastelle Solomon / MT Hoffman

11:00-11:10 Poster: Rural livelihoods and natural resource management in Paulshoek: A communal reserve in Namaqualand, South Africa - Ashia Petersen / MT Hoffman / AR Palmer

11:10-11:20 Poster: A Tourism venture in Namaqualand - MT Hoffman & J Allsopp

11:20-11:30 Poster: The effect of seasonal grazing on the composition and yield of veld in the central Free State - LF Vorster

11:30-11:40 Poster: The use of remote sensing and GIS technology in mapping Prosopis distribution and biomass – Wendy Lloyd

11:40-11:50 Poster: Rangeland Management and rural livelihoods in Paulshoek, Namaqualand - Hayley Rodkin

11:50-12:10 Dwarf plant growth forms on southern African quartz fields: Adaptations to aridity and special microclimatic conditions - Ute Schmiedel

12:10-12:30 Planning for persistence – systematic reserve design in southern Africa’s Succulent Karoo desert - Richard Cowling

12:30-12:40 Cape action plan for the environment – A conservation plant for the Fynbos Biome – Richard Cowling

12:40-13:00 Designing a persistent reserve system for the conservation of the Knersvlakte’s unique flora –PG Desmet, RM Cowling, AG Ellis, AT Lombard, B Pressey & A le Roux

13:00-13:20 Cape Nature Conservation’s State of Biodiversity Programme – Annelise le Roux

13:20-14:20 LUNCH

SESSION 1: Continues – (Chairperson: Dr Karen Esler)

14:20-14:40 Simulation Models of Namaqualand Pastoral Systems: Simple and Complex - FD Richardson & BD Hahn

14:40-15:00 A frame-based model of plant, climate and animal interactions in a communal area of Namaqualand - B Hahn, S Todd, P Carrick, TM Hoffman & DM Richardson

15:00-15:10 Poster: Managing livestock for a functional soil ecosystem – P Beukes

15:10-15:20 Poster: Distribution and grazing index value of Stripagrostis obtusa in the Nama Karoo - PCV du Toit

15:20-15:30 Poster: The impact of off-road driving on the river and dune ecosystems in the Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park – Hugo Bezuidenhout & N van Rooyen

15:30-16:00 TEA / COFFEE

16:00-16:20 The recruitment event that stopped at the fence: Seedlings in grazed and protected veld - SJ Milton

16:20-16:40 Plant phenology in an arid Savanna in northern Tanzania - Malcolm Coe

16:40-17:10 Summary and discussion of Session 1

(Prof Richard Cowling)

17:10-17:50 Annual General Meeting

17:50-18:10 Introduction to Field Trips – Annelise le Roux

19:00 DINNER

08:00-08:15 Collect lunch boxes

08:30 Depart for Field Trips :

Endemic species diversity in the quarzite patches of the Knersvlakte.

Disturbance and restoration.

19:00 BRAAI

07:45-08:10 Report back on Field Trips

SESSION 2: Adaptations of Plants and Animals to Arid Conditions (Chairperson: Prof Nico Smit)

08:10-08:30 Keynote speaker: Predicting plant migration with projected climate change: Limits to adaptation - MC Rutherford / GF Midgley / LW Powrie / R Roberts

08:30-08:50 Adaptations by Widdringtonia cedarbergensis to the environment - EC February

08:50-09:10 The density and stability of birds in shrublands and drainage line woodland in the southern Karoo, South Africa – WRJ Dean & SJ Milton

09:10-09:30 Physiological adaptation to aridity and limits to the distribution of the three arid-occurring Otomyine rodents of southern Africa - TP Jackson

09:30-09:50 Reproduction in arid-adapted ungulates - JD Skinner

09:50-10:10 Spatial distribution patterns of isopod populations from the Negev desert of Israel in response to moisture heterogeneity – S Citron-Pousty / J Silander

10:10-10:40 TEA / COFFEE

10:40-11:00 Translocation parameters pertaining to the reintroduction of the Arabian oryx into the ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Maartin Strauss

11:00-11:10 Poster: Reproduction and meat production of the greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros - D Moss

11:10-11:20 Poster: Food preferences of Springbuck, Blue Wildebeest and Gemsbok in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park – GCO de Beer

11:20-11:30 Poster: Habitat preferences of Springbuck, Blue Wildebeest and Gemsbok in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park - GCO de Beer

11:30-11:40 Poster: Spiders and scorpions are also animals - Marie de Jager

11:40-11:50 Poster: Status of flamingos in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa - Mark Anderson

11:50-12:00 Poster: Long-term data in Paulshoek: A communal rangeland site in the Succulent Karoo – M Timm Hoffman & Simon Todd

12:00-12:10 Is the Springbok (antidorcas marsupialis) a true aseasonal breeder? - JD Skinner, TA Richter, SD Cilliers, MA Haupt, DG Moss, B Malpaux & DC Skinner.

12:10-12:20 Poster: Growth reserve translocation in Themeda triandra during water stress - IB Oosthuizen

12:20-12:30 Poster: Some adaptations of Hardwickia mopane to survive in a semi-arid environment - GN Smit

12:30-12:40 Poster: Preliminary investigation of the vegetation of the proposed area for the Vhembe-Dongola National park, Northern Province - A Goetze / SS Cilliers & K Kellner

12:40-13:10 Summary and discussion of Session 2

(Dr Mike Rutherford)

13:10-14:00 LUNCH

(Chairperson: Dr Nicky Allsopp)

14:00-14:20 Restoration of degraded rangelands: A National Research Programme - K Kellner

14:20-14:30 Poster: The effect of brushpacking on the stabilisation of degraded Kalahari dunes -

14:30-14:40 Poster: Rangeland Restoration and Monitoring in Paulshoek, Namaqualand – A Project Proposal -Liora-Lee Simons

14:40-14:50 Poster: Assessing the influence of revegetation techniques on the success of the establishment of Little karoo species - B Witbooi & KJ Esler

14:50-15:00 Poster: The use of an organic block for restoring degraded rangeland: A community participatory approach – Louise Buys

15:00-15:30 Summary and discussion of Session 3

(Dr Karen Esler)

15:30-16:00 TEA / COFFEE

16:00-16:30 Presentation of Awards for the best paper and poster contributions by young scientists and