Prof Frances Siebert from the subject group Botany at the North-West University (NWU) was recently invited to publish in the Annual Reviews journal series.

This paper is the first from the NWU’s Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM) in this highly regarded publication series on ecology, evolution and systematics.

Annual Reviews journals are widely recognised for synthesising expert knowledge across scientific fields, facilitating key insights for scholars and society. Editorial committees in each discipline select emerging topics and invite researchers to contribute reviews that shape the direction of study within their fields.

Prof Siebert, identified by the committee as a leading scholar on forbs (i.e. non-grass flowering plants in the herbaceous layer), collaborated with a team of international experts to examine the ecological significance of forbs in tropical and sub-tropical grasslands.

Despite their significant contribution to ecosystem services, this plant growth form was neglected among scientists as being an important plant group in grassland ecosystems. In the review paper, the authors provided several examples of the direct and indirect benefits of forbs. For instance, how livestock and indigenous African herbivores select certain forb species to self-medicate when they are infected by parasites, the traditional use of forbs as food- and medicinal plants, and how forbs provide important regulating services such as carbon sequestration and pollination services.

“This publication is a milestone for the UESM and reflects the NWU’s presence in key academic discussions,” says Prof Siebert. “I am grateful for the opportunity to bring the role of forbs in grasslands and savannas to the fore.”

This paper is the NWU’s third contribution to Annual Reviews, following earlier work by Prof Don Kurtz in astronomy and astrophysics and Dr Paul Janssen in mathematics and statistics.

Invited as a distinguished speaker at the 74CNBot conference in the city of Brasilia in Brazil on 19 November 2024, Prof Siebert’s publication attracted attention from vegetation scientists abroad. The international journal, Annals of Botany, sponsored her research. Her plenary lecture at the 74CNBot conference was selected as one of eight invitational manuscript submissions to Annals of Botany in 2025.

Prof Siebert also presented her findings as an invited seminar speaker at Sao Paulo State University in Rio Claro on 22 November.

Her efforts are proof of the NWU’s commitment to promoting research that benefits not only South Africa, but the world.

Prof Francis Siebert surrounded by forbs.