Plant Functional Traits Courses (PFTC) offer hands-on training in applications of plant functional trait ecology within a real-life field research project setting. During this 7th PFTC course, students will collect and explore plant functional trait data in the field and use trait-based approaches within community and ecosystem ecology. Following the course, students will have opportunities to participate in / lead publications using the data. See our current publications.

Trait-based ecology incorporates methods that enable powerful approaches to predict how climate and biotic interactions shape plant community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. This course will provide students with essential background knowledge and the practical field, lab, and computational skills needed for conducting their own research within trait-based ecology.

The PFTC7 course will be held in the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa, between the 1st and 19th of December 2023 with online pre-course preparatory work in September – November 2023. We will work alpine grasslands, from c. 2000 to 3000 m a.s.l., in the Witsieshoek area of the Drakensberg mountains. It is a fascinating and truly beautiful study system, located within a very biodiverse area (c. 3000 plant species in the eastern Drakensberg region, with c. 9% endemism; Carbutt 2019 S. Afr. J. Bot).

Are you interested? Please find all the information about the course and instructions how to apply on the Plant Functional Traits Course website.
Application deadline: 28 February.