Themeda Eco Consulting was founded by Alan Short in 2013, after 14 years of experience in rangeland research and extension in southern Africa. We provide specialist research into vegetation ecology and veld assessments for the wildlife and conservation sector, livestock farmers, government and communities. Our partnerships with specialists in a wide range of fields allows us to put together an expert team for biodiversity surveys and environmental management plans. We tailor the assessment to the needs of the client, to make sure that the methods and the reporting are exactly what the client needs to make informed decisions on managing natural resources.
Alan Short
|
Alan is a Rangeland Ecologist with 20 years' experience in the fields of rangeland monitoring, land planning, resource assessment and livestock and biodiversity management in rangelands and landscapes transformed by agriculture.
He was a researcher for the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, running long-term trials and providing extension and training to farmers and others. For some time he was acting manager of his section.
For three years, Alan ran the Agricultural Research Council's National Rangeland Monitoring and Improvement Programme (pdf), a multi-million rand veld monitoring and skills development programme with a team of 16 technicians surveying sites across the country.
In Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, Alan worked with researchers from around the world in multiple disciplines, collating information on the ecology of the system, often in expeditions lasting for weeks at a time.
His focus is on the assessment and management of ecosystem goods and services to society, in particular soil and water conservation, biodiversity management, and forage production for livestock and wildlife, working with numerous stakeholders from small-scale farmers to government and private sector.
He is a registered ecologist with the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), and a member of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa and the Society for Range Management