"Charlie Shackleton currently occupies a fulltime research chair in Interdisciplinary Science in Land and Natural Resource Use for Sustainable Livelihoods with the department. This is a nationally funded Chair whose objective is to develop interdisciplinary understandings of and methods to reveal the role, value and importance of natural resources in rural and urban livelihoods for poverty alleviation (see Research Projects page for more details). Charlie's research interests centre of the links between landscapes, biological resources and peoples’ uses thereof. Trained as a plant ecologist he soon broadened his perspective (prompted by his spouse, Sheona) to include social and resource valuation perspectives on how biological resources are used or abused, and how in turn resource supply enhances or constrains local livelihoods options and peoples’ wellbeing. Charlie has extensive field research experience in interdisciplinary projects in rural areas of South Africa, and over the past few years has begun to apply these models and lessons to urban systems as well, which is underpinning his growing interest in urban forestry. He continues work on the ecology of individual plant species, typically those used by local people, including fuelwood, wild fruits, weaving fibres and vegetable species, and includes both indigenous and alien species. Charlie has supervised or co-supervised 8 PhD and 34 Masters students. He has over 160 peer-reviewed journal papers to his name, six books and 31 book chapters."

Landscapes, biological resources and peoples’ uses