Miss Happy Maleme

MSc Student

Research Interests

Eucalyptus are important to Koalas mainly because they rely on these trees for food. Eucalyptus trees are originally from Australia and are commercially exploited under different climatic conditions worldwide. In South Africa, they were established and maintained by the PTA Zoo for feeding Koalas. Koalas are originally from Australia and they do not drink water, they obtain their moisture from a mixture of different Eucalyptus leaves.

Eucalyptus are under constant attack by number of fungal pathogens. Amongst them are the members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family. They are also referred to as opportunistic pathogens or saprophytes on dead or dying plant material. They are latent pathogen / endophytes that are known to invade the host’s plant tissue and do not cause disease symptoms until the tree is predisposed to some environmental stress e.g., drought, hail damage, hot or cold winds.

Botryosphaeriaceae endophytes can be easily overlooked and can be transferred from one continent to the other through germplasm or vegetative materials or seeds. Not only do these fungi threaten these plantations, they also pose a great threat to the indigenous flora surrounding them as well as commercial plantations, hence the need for a clear understanding of their ecology, the mode of transmission and spread, as well as their correct taxonomic identification.

Presentation at the National Congress:
Poster presentation Maleme H, Pavlic D, Slippers B, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. 2006. Identification of Botryosphaeria spp. from Eucalyptus planted to feed Koala bears at the PTA Zoo. Proceedings of 44th Congress of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology, 22-25 January 2006, Magalies Park, Hartbeespoort, South Africa

Oral presentation
Maleme H, Pavlic D, Slippers B, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. 2007. Identification of Botryosphaeriaceae from Eucalyptus planted to feed Koala bears at the PTA Zoo. Proceedings of 45th Congress of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology, 21-24 January 2007, Benoni, South Africa.

Outreach programmes

Featured on the first online science magazine for Public understanding of Science (PUB)

Featured as an insert guest on the television series Living Land (sabc 2)

Featured as an insert guest on the television series Women in Science (sabc 2)