SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.62 issue2Integrating multi-scaled and multidisciplinary studies: A critical reflection on the Kruger National Park research supersitesA tribute to Pieter Johannes (Johann) du Preez author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • On index processCited by Google
  • On index processSimilars in Google

Share


Koedoe

On-line version ISSN 2071-0771
Print version ISSN 0075-6458

Koedoe vol.62 n.2 Pretoria  2020

http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1639 

TRIBUTE

 

A tribute to Frederick (Fred) J. Kruger

 

 

Wijnand J. SwartI; Maitland T. SeamanII; Pieter A.L. le RouxIII, IV; Beanelri B. JaneckeV

IDepartment of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
IICentre for Environmental Management, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
IIIDigital Soils Africa, Bloemfontein, South Africa
IVInstitute for Groundwater Studies, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
VDepartment of Animal, Wildlife & Grassland Sciences, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Correspondence

 

 

 

Frederick J. Kruger, passed away in his sleep in May 2017 in Stellenbosch after a short illness. Fred, as he was known to everyone, was highly educated in forest science and ecology and a pioneer of forest hydrology, fynbos ecology and invasive species. Fred was a Member of the Royal Society, and a former director of the South African Forestry Research Institute, and of the CSIR's Division of Forest Science and Technology.

His passing left an indelible mark on forestry and environmental science in South Africa. Fred was an intellectual (although he refused to be called an academic) and uncompromising in his pursuit of answers. He was supportive, understated but provocative, with dignity and integrity and always a twinkle in his eyes. In recent years, he was a major contributor to scholarly literature about the environmental history of South Africa.

He often collaborated in ecological research and was actively involved from 2015 to 2017 in this multidisciplinary research project near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park (published in this special issue) together with colleagues from the University of the Free State. The main concept of the study was the 'brain child' of Fred and Piet le Roux. Fred stimulated the team's thoughts on the interaction between the biosphere and lithosphere and he encouraged us to always focus on the bigger ecological picture. His active involvement in this project led to the discovery of a new species of fungus, which was subsequently described and named after him (Fusarium fredkrugeri Sandoval-Denis, Crous & W.J. Swart, sp. nov.). His extensive knowledge and experience will be sorely missed by all those people he interacted with over many years.

At the time of his passing, he was an active Research Fellow of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State, and was investigating and documenting studies on the role of water in rivers in the catchments of the Kruger National Park.

This is a tribute to honour Dr Fred Kruger, and to show our respect, gratitude and admiration when we remember the huge contribution that he has made to the research published in this special issue.

- W. Swart, M. Seaman, P. Le Roux, B. Janecke and the research team

 

 

Correspondence:
Beanelri B. Janecke
janeckbb@ufs.ac.za

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License