Marco Pauw

Field Technician

Marco has always been passionate about the arid parts of the country. Apart from the beauty of the landscapes, he often finds himself astonished at how organisms manage to survive in such harsh environments. This sparked his interest in plant ecology. Marco is most curious about plants' adaptations to their environments and how they are affected by long-term changes. His research career started off with projects on rangeland- and mine rehabilitation in the Karoo, which he did during his BSc and MSc studies in Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University. Marco then worked for SAEON as a field technician for seven years. During his employment, Marco started doing a PhD part time with the University of the Witwatersrand. For his thesis, he is looking at the effects of the altered hydrological regime on the riparian vegetation along the lower Orange River. While Marco found a new home on the banks of the Orange River and is no longer employed by SAEON, he is continuing as a SAEON student.