Grassroots September 2016, Vol. 16, No. 3

Contents 3 Regulars Editor’s Note News 6 Biodiversity Falls Below “Safe Levels” Globally 7 8 Gentle Giants Taking Root How South Africa’s Second Most Invasive Tree Can Be Managed Better 10 SADC Appeals For Assistance As Drought Hits Hard 11 Set For Success: Climate Proofing The Malabo Declaration (2016) 12 The Science Of Research: Why It Starts With The Policymaker 13 Can Virtual Reality Emerge As A Tool For Conservation? 16 2016 Climate Trends Continue To Break Records 18 Dragonflies As Sentinels For Fresh Water Conservation 20 Study Role Of Climate Change In Extreme Threats To Water Quality 28 Update On The International Year Of Rangelands Proposal 29 The Proposed South African Carbon Tax 31 Soil Erosion May Global Food Security Threaten 33 Job Report Shows The Resilience Of South Africa’s Agricultural Sector 33 Africa’s SDG Could Citizen Science In Africa Boost 35 The Science Of Groundwater Sampling Needs A Dose Of Honesty Feature 23 The Role Of Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (RPA’S) In Rangeland Monitoring 36 Congress Mid-Congress Community Projects and Restoration Tour: Forest

Grassroots September 2016, Vol. 16, No. 3 | Page 4