hrough the Conservation Ecology programme at the Stellenbosch University, we conduct research in, and train students to apply an understanding of the functioning and ecology of plant and animal populations, and of the complex living communities in the management of natural resources and landscapes. This includes the conservation and sustainable use of forest trees, natural grazing lands, crocodiles and other game species, the prevention and control of bush encroachment, invasive alien plants and problem animals, the management of species, ecosystems and environmental processes in both formal and private protected areas, especially those in fragmented landscapes, the mitigation and repair of damage caused by agriculture (e.g. over grazing), development and mining, social assessment of rural communities, spatial prioritisation for improved decision-making for conservation activities, and the implementation of social learning institutions for the adaptive management of production landscapes