V Ralph Clark

Professor V Ralph Clark is the pioneer Director of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) at the University of the Free State (UFS) and interim coordinator of its Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC) programme. He is a Fellow of the Department of Geography at UFS, a Board member of the International Mountain Society (University of Bern, Switzerland), and a Founding Trustee of the African Mountain Research Foundation (United Kingdom). His work integrates multidisciplinary mountain research with extensive domestic and international collaborations.

His research focuses on plant diversity and endemism in Southern African mountains, aiming to enhance biogeographic understanding for conservation and sustainable use. Key regions of interest include the southern Great Escarpment, Manica Highlands (Zimbabwe–Mozambique), western Malotis (South Africa–Lesotho), and the Angolan Highlands.

• Scientific Committee Chair, Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA)
• Guest Editor for three mountain-focused special issues
• Member of the international editorial board for Mountain Research and Development
• Member of the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN)

His contributions are supported by large research funding and collaborations across multiple institutions.