Arrival tea and registrations
Hosted by Stellenbosch University
Forestry Science Symposium 2026
24–26 November 2026Stellenbosch, South Africa
Conference programme
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Tuesday, 24 November
STIAS
10 Marais Road, Stellenbosch Central
Welcome
Opening address
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsFull presentationSession Chair 1
Stories of Susceptibility: mortality and growth in the first two years of the IMPACT Open-Air Laboratory
Prof David Drew
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsFull presentationSession Chair 1
Beyond mean climate: Preparing South African Forestry for a future of climate extremes
Dr Yolandi Ernst
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsFull presentationSession Chair 1
High‑resolution climate downscaling using terrain features and global circulation models: applications for species suitability in the management of plantation forestry
Dr Jaco-Pierre van der Merwe
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsFull presentationSession Chair 1
Using functional traits to design climate-resilient forestry systems in South Africa
Prof Rob Skelton
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsFull presentationSession Chair 1
An Integrated Framework for Climate-Responsive Species–Site Matching in South African Plantation Forestry
Mrs Miranda Wilson
Morning Tea
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsSpeed talkSession Chair 2
Investigating morpho-physiological indicators of drought tolerance in commercially important eucalypt species and hybrids
Ms Londiwe Mthembu
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsSpeed talkSession Chair 2
A comparison of water-use and water productivity of E. dunnii and E. grandis x E. urophylla and their potential impacts on subsurface water resources
Mr Molefi Khoabane
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsSpeed talkSession Chair 2
The influence of plantation site x species interactions on water-use patterns of various pine species in the Mpumalanga escarpment area of South Africa.
Dr Heinrich Hechter
Climate-Resilient Forestry SystemsSpeed talkSession Chair 2
A mechanistic climate resilient solution for South African Forestry
Dr Caroline Hardy
Q&A
Silviculture and Sustainable Timber ProductionFull presentationSession Chair 3
Financial performance associated with vegetation management treatments in eucalypt pulpwood stands
Prof Keith Little
Silviculture and Sustainable Timber ProductionFull presentationSession Chair 3
Changes in eucalypt biomass and soil nutrient status due to high intensity nutrient removal over seven cropping cycles: Preliminary results
Dr Glen Cooper
Silviculture and Sustainable Timber ProductionFull presentationSession Chair 3
Understanding the impact of mechanical mulching as a residue management tool on subsequent operational efficiency of downstream operations
Mr Leeshan Mahadeo
Silviculture and Sustainable Timber ProductionFull presentationSession Chair 3
Season-driven growth responses in juvenile Eucalyptus across different species and planting densities.
Mr Kudzai Kundishora
Lunch
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentFull presentationSession Chair 4
Toward Breeding 5.0 in forest trees: a genomic vision for eucalypt improvement
Prof Zander Myburg
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentFull presentationSession Chair 4
One Pathway, Many Gene Families: A Pangenome Perspective on Lignin Biosynthesis
Dr Anneri Lotter
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentFull presentationSession Chair 4
Forty Years of Eucalyptus dunnii Breeding at Sappi: Progress, Challenges and Future Opportunities
Mrs Tracy le Roux
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentFull presentationSession Chair 4
Landscape genomics identifies climate-adaptive genetic variation in Eucalyptus grandis
Dr Jessica Winn
Big Questions for Forestry: challenges and opportunities
Afternoon Tea
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Genotype × environment interaction and site-specific deployment of eucalyptus germplasm across contrasting ecological zones in tanzania
Mr Charles Kimani
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Dissecting the genetic architecture of Teratosphaeria destructans resistance in Eucalyptus
Mr Tshoganyetso Motete
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Development of a commercial tissue culture protocol for hybrid pine species (P. patula x P. tecunumanii)
Ms Georgia Dyer
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Optimising Frost Tolerance Phenotyping Protocols in Pinus patula x P. tecunumanii Hybrids for Climate-Resilient Pine Breeding
Ms Anicka Nel
Q&A
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
The Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation in Eucalyptus Grandis Seedlings Growth Rate in a Nursery Setting at SA Fine-Tuned Stutterheim
Ms Inathi kwezi
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Multi-scale precision phenotyping Fusarium circinatum resistance in hybrid F1 Pinus
Mr bertus van Rooy
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Lean breeding in Eucalyptus: Balancing genetic gains and diversity under resource constraints
Mr Nuveshen Naidoo
Advanced Tree Improvement, Genomics and DeploymentSpeed talkSession Chair 5
Performance in rust resistance and frost tolerance of selected individuals in progeny tests versus their performance as clones of Acacia mearnsii
Dr Julian Moreno Chan
Q&A
Cocktail evening (Poster)
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