Our Team
Melissa Schmitt, PI
All of my research revolves around large mammal ecology and management. I am fascinated by the decision-making process of large herbivorous mammals, particularly with respect to how herbivores balance their foraging requirements and predation risk. I am also interested in understanding how these tradeoffs span multiple spatial scales.
Although much of my work has been conducted in African savannas, I have extensive field experience working in terrestrial North American systems (redwood forest and dry chaparral) and marine systems, including California kelp forests and Pacific coral reefs. My time spent in these diverse systems has informed the way I approach wildlife ecology as a whole.
Beyond my work, I love spending time birding, cooking, and doing anything that gets me outdoors. Odds are good that you will find me holding a cup of tea at any given moment in the day.
Past and current graduate students
Twané Bester, MSc (Cum Laude)
University of Pretoria (2020-2022), co-advisor: Prof. Adrian Shrader
Thesis: “Exploring the influence that monoterpenes have on the dietary choices of elephants”
My research interests address the factors that modulate plant-herbivore interactions. In particular, I focus on the utilization of plant secondary metabolites as chemical defenses against herbivory, the way in which odoriferous secondary metabolites shape the olfactory landscape of herbivores, and the influences that the volatile organic compounds, monoterpenes, have on the olfactory-driven dietary choices of megaherbivores.
For my thesis, I explored how African elephants (Loxodonta africana) use olfactory cues to make foraging decisions. One type of volatile plant secondary compounds that influence these decisions are monoterpenes. Little is known about how individual monoterpenes, or their mixtures, influence elephant dietary choice. I found that deterrence is influenced by monoterpene concentration and whether the monoterpenes are presented in mixtures. I also found that different individual monoterpenes have the potential to influence elephant dietary choice to varying degrees.
Carys Corry-Roberts, MSc candidate
Rhodes University (2021-present), co-advisor: Prof. Dan Parker and Prof. Keenan Stears
Thesis: “Impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on savanna vegetation dynamics and tri-trophic relationships”
My research interests are broad, but include spatial ecology of threatened and endangered species, behavior of large mammals and their response to anthropogenic pressures, the effects of habitat restoration on biodiversity, and mediating human-wildlife conflict.
For my MSc, I am exploring how herbivores respond to habitat management practices and predation risk. Habitat use and the behaviors of herbivores are influenced by the trade-off that exists between risk of predation and food quality and availability. African savannas pose a particularly interesting trade-off for herbivores, not only because they host a high diversity of predators and prey species, but also because savannas exist in a constant flux of vegetation structure. Both local and global drivers are driving savannas to become more tree-dominated, which often requires habitat management intervention. The broad aim of my research is to understand how anthropogenic disturbances that influence vegetation dynamics can alter tri-trophic relationships in African savannas. I am specifically interested in understanding 1) how various burning and mowing management practices influence large mammal habitat use, 2) the environmental drivers of antipredator responses of herbivores across the landscape, and 3) how herbivores forage under competition.
Lindokhule Gumede, MSc candidate
University of Mpumalanga (2022-present), co-advisor: Prof. Dan Parker and Prof. Keenan Stears
Thesis: “Seasonal drivers of insectivorous bat activity: exploring the relative importance of food abundance, vegetation structure, and water availability”
My Master’s project focuses on the drivers of insectivorous bat community structure in a southern African savanna. My study will use acoustic monitoring of bat communities near the Kruger National Park to better understand the impact of important ecological drivers on their community structure and composition. I am investigating the relative importance of vegetation structure, water availability, and insect abundance on bat activity and community assemblage.
Christoffel de Lange, MSc candidate
University of Pretoria (2021-present), co-advisor: Prof. Adrian Shrader
Thesis: “Spatial variation in vigilance behaviours and its effect on food intake rates”
Early predator detection is one of the key ways in which prey reduce their vulnerability to predation. Animals therefore frequently allocate time towards anti-predator vigilance. Being vigilant, however, comes at a cost because it disrupts the time spent searching for and handling food, thereby reducing food intake rates. To meet conflicting demands for food and safety, prey must assess the risk of predation and select vigilance strategies that balance them. The major goals of my thesis are to assess various vigilance strategies that are employed by wild herbivores in different habitats that vary in predation risk and food availability.