
Dr Ian Russell
Senior Scientist: Aquatic Ecology, Garden Route & Frontier Research Unit
Education
- National Diploma (Nature Conservation), 1982, Pretoria Technikon
- BSc (Botany & Zoology), 1985, University of the Witwatersrand
- BSc Honours (Zoology), 1986, University of the Witwatersrand
- PhD (Aquatic Ecology), 1996, University of the Witwatersrand
Research Focus and Interest
- Conservation of estuarine ecosystems
- Long-term monitoring of abiotic and biotic components of aquatic ecosystems
- Conservation of freshwater fishes
Publications
Journal Articles
Russell IA. 1994. Mass mortality of marine and estuarine fish in the Swartvlei and Wilderness lake systems. Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences 20 (1/2): 93-96.
Russell IA. 1996. Fish abundances in the Wilderness and Swartvlei lake systems: changes relative to environmental factors. South African Journal of Zoology 31(1): 1-9.
Russell IA. 1996. Water quality in the Knysna estuary. Koedoe 39(1): 1-8.
Russell IA. 1997. Spatial variation in the structure of fish assemblages in the Vaalbos National Park. Koedoe 40(1): 113-124.
Russell IA. 1999. Freshwater fish of the Wilderness National Park. Koedoe 42(1): 73-78.
Russell IA. 1999. Freshwater fish of the Addo Elephant National Park. South African Journal of Aquatic Sciences 24(1/2): 57-70.
Russell IA. 1999. Changes in the water quality of the Wilderness and Swartvlei lake systems, South Africa. Koedoe 42(1): 57-72.
Novellie P, Biggs H, Braack L, Hanekom N, Knight M, Macgregor M, Randall R, Russell I, Venter F. 1999. Peripheral development: position paper for the Directorate of the South African National Parks. Koedoe 42(2): 113-116.
Russell IA. 2001. Freshwater fish of Bontebok National Park. Koedoe 44(2): 71-77.
Russell IA. 2002. Freshwater fish of Tsitsikamma National Park. Koedoe 45(2): 13-17.
Russell IA. 2003. Changes in the distribution of emergent aquatic plants in a brackish South African estuarine-lake system. African Journal of Aquatic Science 28(2): 103-118.
Russell IA, Skelton PH. 2005. Freshwater fishes of Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Koedoe 48(1): 87-94.
Russell IA, Impson ND. 2006. Aquatic systems in and adjacent to Agulhas National Park with particular reference to the fish fauna. Koedoe 49(2): 45-57.
Russell IA, Kraaij T. 2008. Effects of cutting Phragmites australis along an inundation gradient, with implications for managing reed encroachment in a South African estuarine lake system. Wetlands Ecology and Management 16(5) 383-393.
Russell IA, Randall RM, Randall BM, Hanekom N. 2009. Relationships between the biomass of waterfowl and submerged macrophytes in a South African estuarine lake. Ostrich 80(1) 35-41.
Olds AA, Smith KS, Weyl OLF, Russell IA. 2011. Occurrence of alien invasive freshwater fishes in the Wilderness Lakes system a wetland of international importance, Western Cape, South Africa. African Zoology 46(1): 179-184.
Russell IA. 2011. Conservation status and distribution of freshwater fishes in South African national parks. African Zoology 46(1): 117-132.
McGeoch MA, Dopolo M, Novellie P, Hendriks H, Freitag S, Ferreira S, Grant R, Kruger J, Bezuidenhout H, Randall R, Vermeulen W, Kraaij T, Russell I, Knight MH, Holness S, Ooshuizen A. 2011. A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in SANParks. Koedoe 53(2), Art. #991, 10 pages. doi:10.4102/koedoe.v53i2.991
Russell IA. 2013. Spatio-temporal variability of surface water quality parameters in a South African estuarine lake system. African Journal of Aquatic Science 38(1): 53-66.
Russell IA, Randall RM, Hanekom, N. 2014. Spatial and temporal patterns of waterbird assemblages in the Wilderness Lakes Complex, South Africa. Waterbirds 37(1): 1-18.
Hanekom N, Russell IA. 2015. Temporal changes in macrobenthos of sandprawn (Callichirus kraussi) beds in Swartvlei Estuary, South Africa. African Zoology 50(1): 41-51.
Russell IA. 2015 Spatio-temporal variability of surface water quality parameters in the Swartvlei estuarine lake system, South African . African Journal of Aquatic Science 40(2): 119-131.
Russell IA, Randall RM (2017) Effects of prolonged high water salinity on submerged macrophyte and waterbird communities in Swartvlei Lake, South Africa. Water SA. 666-672.
Russell IA, Randall RM, Zimmerman, D, Govender, D. (2019) Outbreak of avian botulism and its effect on waterbirds in the Wilderness Lakes, South Africa. Koedoe 53(2), Art. #991, 10 pages. doi:10.4102/koedoe.v53i2.991
Book or Book Chapters
Gore, J.A., Layzer, J.B. and Russell, I.A. (1992). Non-traditional applications of instream flow techniques for conserving habitat of biota in the Sabie River of southern Africa. In: P.J. Boon, P. Calow and G.E. Petts (Eds), River Conservation and Management. John Wiley & Sons Limited. Pp 161-177.
Popular Articles
Russell IA. 1992. Environmental research not new to National Parks Board. South African Wetlands No. 3: pp2.
Russell IA. 1997. Sedgefield Stink. Custos January 1997: 22-23.
Russell IA, Russell LM. 1997. The mosquitoes of the Wilderness National Park. Custos.
Russell IA, Randall RM. 2005. New engine to power research in coastal parks. Go Wild.
Russell IA, Randall RM. 2007. High conservation importance estuaries: the pride of the Garden Route. Go Wild.
Russell IA, Cambray J. 2007. Indigenous freshwater fishes threatened by alien onslaught. Go Wild.
Peters B, Russell I. 2010. Honda Marine contribute to water quality research in the Garden Route. Honda Marine Newsletter January 2010.
Russell IA, Randall RM. 2010. The value of estuaries. In: SANParks. Biodiversity, Science and SANParks. Conservation in times of change. SANParks Scientific Services 18-21.
Radzilani M, Russell IA. 2012. Rivers of the fragmented Garden Route National Park: Conservation and Management. Go Wild January 2012.
Russell IA. 2012. Service to broader conservation sector: Ramsar convention. SANParks Research Report 2014: 40.
Roux D, Petersen R, Russell I, Fisher R-M. 2013. The state of SANParks wetlands SANParks Research Report 2014: 53-54.
Russell IA. 2013. What’s happening to Swartvlei? SANParks Times March 2013.
Russell IA. 2014. Ramsar Sites, our wetland wonders. SANParks Times
Russell IA. 2014. National parks a haven for many freshwater fishes. SANParks Times.
Hyes J, Russell IA. 2014. State of Knowledge reporting in Garden Route National Park. SANParks Research Report 2014: 36-37.
Russell IA. 2015. Swartvlei: It’s a gas. SANParks Times
Russell IA, Govender D. 2016. Bird carcasses in lakes pose many questions. SANParks Times. June 2016.
Russell I, Govender D. 2015. Avian botulism outbreaks in the Wilderness Lakes. SANParks Research Report 2015: 37-39.
Russell I, Kruger, N. 2015. Emergent aquatic plant monitoring along the Wilderness Lakes as indicator for wetland change. SANParks Research Report 2015: 69-70.
Russell I. 2015. Retirements: Rod Randall. SANParks Research Report 2015: 77.
Russell I. 2016. Shifting environmental conditions cause substantial changes to plant and bird communities at Swartvlei Lake. SANParks Research Report 2016: 23-24
Russell IA, Britton, J. 2017. Digging for conservation SANParks Times. June 2017.
Baard, J, Hayes J, Russell I, Vermeulen W & De Morney M. 2018 Counting the costs after the Knysna fire. SANParks Times. March 2018: 30.
Freitag-ronaldson S, Baard J, Hayes J, de Morney M, Russell I, Vemeulen W. 2017. Large infrequent disturbance or ‘new normal, under changing climates and less predictable futures? Reflections after the June 2017 Knysna-Plett fires. SANParks Research Report 2017/18: 10-14
Russell I, Arendse C, Smith K, Freitag-Ronaldson S. 2017. To breach or not: Swartvlei Estuary mouth management in the Garden Route. SANParks Research Report 2017/18: 20-21
Russell I. 2017. Avian botulism at Wilderness Ramsar site – the saga continues. SANParks Research Report 2017/18: 47-48.
Conference Presentations & Posters
Russell IA, Rogers KH. 1989. The distribution and composition of fish communities in the major rivers of the Kruger National Park. Presented at the Fourth South African National Hydrological Symposium, Pretoria. Published in conference proceedings.
Russell IA. 1990. Conserving fish diversity: problems with this as a management objective. Presented at 1990 annual conference of the Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists, Bloemfontein. Abstract published in conference proceedings.
Russell IA. 1991. The status of fish communities and aquatic habitats in the perennial rivers of the Kruger National Park: 1960 to 1990. Paper delivered at workshop on endangered fish species, Skukuza.
Russell IA, Rogers KH. 1991. Surveillance of fish communities and habitats: Past changes, present status and future projections. First annual research meeting of the Kruger National Park Rivers Research Program, Pretoria. Abstract published in conference proceedings.
Russell IA, Rogers KH. 1991. Workshop: Sensitive Fish Species, Skukuza 1991. Kruger National Park Rivers Research Programme.
Russell IA, Rogers KH. 1992. Habitat utilization by fish: Implication for future research and management. Presented at the Second annual research meeting of the Kruger National Park Rivers Research Program, Pretoria. Abstract published in conference proceedings.
Russell IA. 1998. Conservation and monitoring of aquatic systems in southern national parks. Presented at the Conference on a National Rivers Research Initiative, Pietermaritzburg. Abstract printed in conference proceedings.
Reed CC, Russell IA. 2005. River health monitoring in the Garden Route: Illustrating the effects of changing land-use on water quality. Fynbos Forum, Port Elizabeth. Abstract published in conference proceedings.
Kraaij T, Russell IA. 2007. Effects of cutting Phragmites australis along a flooding gradient, with implications for managing reed encroachment in a South African estuarine lake system. SAAB annual meeting, Worcester. Abstract published in South African Journal of Botany 73(2): 296
Russell IA, Biggs H, Yssel S, Gyedu-Ababio T. 2009. SANParks adopts a more structured approach to rivers in arid zones. Arid Zone Ecology Forum, Graaf-Reniet 6-9 October 2009.
Olds AA, Weyl OLF, Smith MKS, Russell IA. 2011. The potential impact of freshwater fish introductions on a South African wetland of international importance, the Wilderness lakes system, Western Cape. South African Society of Aquatic Science. Ithala Game Reserve, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, 26-30 June 2011.
Annecke W, Russell I, Vermeulen W. 2016. Politics, philosophy, demography, ecology: The dilemmas of social science in a natural science environment. 14th Annual International Savanna Science Networking Meeting, 13-18 March 2016, Kruger National Park, Skukuza.
Russell I, Britton, J. 2018. Avian botulism in the Garden Route – causes and consequences. Garden Route Interface Meeting, 1-3 October 2018, Sedgefield, South Africa.
Russell I. 2019. Management of temporarily open/closed estuaries: when to keep your mouth shut. Garden Route Interface Meeting, 17-19 September 2019, Sedgefield, South Africa.