Anina Coetzee

Position: Lecturer – Nature Conservation / Head of Department

Tel: 044 801 5018

Office Num: Admin building Room 0119

Qualifications: PhD (Botany) – Stellenbosch University

Expertise: Pollination biology, community ecology, urban ecology, ornithology; conservation

Research interests: My research investigates species coexistence, visual ecology, fire ecology and conservation, often using bird-pollination systems in the Cape Floristic Region. I also study urban ecology, supplementary feeding and forest ecology.

Publications:

Select Publications

Swart, RC, Geerts, S, Geldenhuys, CJ, Pauw, J & Coetzee, A. 2023. Weak latitudinal trends in reproductive traits of Afromontane forest trees. Annals of Botany https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcad080 IF= 4.2
Du Plessis, M, Seymour, CL, Spottiswoode CN & Coetzee, A. 2021. Artificial nectar feeders reduce sunbird abundance and plant visitation in Cape Fynbos adjacent to suburban areas. Global Ecology and Conservation 28: e01706. 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01706
Coetzee, A, Seymour, CL & Spottiswoode, CN. 2021. Facilitation and competition shape a geographical mosaic of flower colour polymorphisms. Functional Ecology 35(9): 1914-1924 http://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13851
McCarren, S, Midgley, J & Coetzee, A. 2021. Sending private messages: floral ultraviolet signals are correlated with pollination syndromes in Erica. Journal of Pollination Ecology 29: 289-298. https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2021)648
Coetzee, A, Spottiswoode, CN & Seymour, CL. 2020. Post-pollination barriers enable coexistence of pollinator-sharing ornithophilous Erica species. Journal of Plant Research 133(6): 873-881. 10.1007/s10265-020-01226-8
Geerts, S*, Coetzee, A*, Rebelo, AG & Pauw, A. 2020. Pollination structures plant and nectar-feeding bird communities in Cape fynbos, South Africa: implications for the conservation of plant-bird mutualisms. Ecological Research 53 (5): 838-856. 10.1111/1440-1703.12148
Coetzee, A, Barnard, P & Pauw, A. 2018. Urban nectarivorous bird communities in Cape Town, South Africa, are structured by ecological generalisation and resource distribution. Journal of Avian Biology 49(6): e01526. DOI: 10.1111/jav.01526.
Heystek, A, Geerts, S, Barnard, P & Pauw, A. 2014. Pink flower preference in sunbirds does not translate into plant fitness differences in a polymorphic Erica species. Evolutionary Ecology 28 (3): 457-470.
Heystek, A & Pauw, A. 2014. Does competition for pollinators contribute to structuring Erica communities? Journal of Vegetation Science 25 (3): 648-656. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12127

Current students:

Rudi Swart – Postdoctoral fellow – Pollination of Afromontane forest trees

Asekho Mantintsilili – PhD – Environmental change effects on Fynbos bird-pollination systems
Anneke Elliott – MSc – Investigating the dieback in Forest Tree Ferns
Ira Tzitzika – MSc – Effects of herbicide use in forestry and fynbos conservation
Ruby Davies – MSc – Nectar robbing fitness effects in Erica species
Graham van Bergen – MSc – Influence of flowers and adjacent biome on anthophilous insects in southern Cape Fynbos
Kim van den Heever – Comparing insect diversity between Regenerative Agriculture and Conservation Agriculture systems

Past post-grad student:

Monique du Plessis – MSc (University of Cape Town) - The effect of artificial nectar feeders on bird-plant mutualisms in the Cape Fynbos
Sam McCarren – PhD (University of Cape Town) – Floral adaptations for pollination in Erica