Sentinel Sites

The research undertaken at our focal research sites is highlighting the balance that people need to find in their environments to ensure the long-term flourishing of society in a changing world. These sites are key indicators of global change and have strong ties to society through the provision of essential ecosystem services. They also have a rich history of research that enables robust detection of long-term trends in environmental change and what these mean for society. The node's Cathedral Peak site is situated in the northern Drakensberg mountain range which is part of South Africa's primary water supply system and a critical centre of biodiversity which is tied to water provisioning and other vital services that society benefits from. Not only are local communities and farmers dependent on the amount and quality of the water produced in this mountain range, but people from across South Africa. The Maputaland sentinel site also has a rich history of long-term research. Similarly to Cathedral Peak, people are largely dependent on water and other biodiversity related services provided by this environment.