Heidi-Jayne Hawkins

Heidi’s expertise lies in functional ecology of plants, plant-soil-microbe interactions, and nutrient cycling as these relate to conservation efforts in the face of global change. She directs a transdisciplinary team of scientists at Conservation South Africa and is an associate professor at University of Cape Town. Her focus is exploring drivers of the biodiversity-carbon nexus and how this can support both conservation and the livelihoods of people who live there. Her recent contributions include global quantifications of the biomass of certain underground fungal networks and how much they contribute to carbon storage; a science-policy document to guide climate adaptation and mitigation in Africa; and researching ways to sustainably manage grassy ecosystems via both wild and domestic animals. Currently she and the team are focused on filling knowledge gaps and building local capacity in foundational biodiversity at various sites in Africa. Here is Heidi’s Google Scholar Profile.