A journey through the biological complexity of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa
Date
2014-03
Authors
Dreyer, Leanne Laurette
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
Léanne Dreyer’s fascination with nature started in her pre-
‘‘school years, and has increased steadily throughout her life.
She was attracted by the different smells, colours, textures and
shapes nature offered, and by the true beauty often revealed
in the smallest details. This led her to enrol for a BSc degree at
Stellenbosch University, majoring in Botany and Genetics. Her
honours and MSc degrees in Botany at the same university
focused on the systematics of Pelargonium, a large genus
within the biologically rich Cape Floristic Region (CFR). After
completing her MSc degree she was appointed as scientist by
the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in
Pretoria, and she enrolled for a PhD at the University of Pretoria
under the supervision of Prof AE van Wyk. Her dissertation
focused on the palynological diversity of Oxalis, another of the
large CFR plant genera. She was appointed by SANBI as South
African Botanical Liaison Officer at the Royal Botanical Gardens,
Kew (London) during the first year of her PhD studies. After
completion of her PhD she was appointed as Postdoctoral
Fellow in the laboratory of Prof Peter Linder at the University
of Cape Town, and then as lecturer at Stellenbosch University in
1998. Her subsequent research career focused on the diversity
and evolution of CFR biota, with a special focus on Oxalis.
In 2005 she became a core team member of the NRF/DST
Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology. This led to
an expansion of her research focus to include the fascinating
plant-fungus-arthropod interactions prevalent within the CFR.
Description
Inaugural lecture delivered on 18 March 2014.
Keywords
Oxalis systematics -- Cape Floristic Region -- South Africa, Plant-fungal-arthropod interactions -- Cape Floristic Region -- South Africa
Citation
Dreyer, L. L. 2014. A journey through the biological complexity of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, South Africa.