Dr David Carlyle Le Maitre has a PhD in plant ecology and specialises on plant invasions and their impacts, focusing on hydrology and fire ecology. He has more than 30 years of research experience in:
- Assessing the hydrological and ecological impacts of land cover change, especially those caused by invading alien plants
- The dynamics of invasion processes
- Fire ecology and management of Cape fynbos vegetation
- Fire hazard and risk assessment
- Ecosystem function and ecosystem services, and the delivery of benefits
- The implications of climate change for ecosystem function and ecosystem service generation, particularly in the fynbos biome
Dr Le Maitre has special interests in: (a) the impacts of invasions on river and wetland systems and the ecosystems services they generate, including river assimilatory capacity; and (b) the ecology of fire under a changing climate, particularly alien plant invasions and their impacts on ecosystem processes, fire management and fire risks. His focus is on understanding the ecological functioning of working landscapes and catchments and how the constituent ecosystems and ecological functions, and the services they generate, are affected by changes in land cover and land management practices, including alien plant invasions. His current research projects are on the linkages between biodiversity, ecosystem services and land-use, focusing on fire and water resources.
