Global Change Processes
Introduction
Cattle
New Zealand needs to minimise potential risks resulting from global change to protect its unique natural environment and its multi-billion-dollar earnings from land-based exports. National commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions set by the Kyoto Protocol must be met by 2012, and post-Kyoto emissions targets are expected to be more rigorous and wide-ranging, requiring greater effort to meet intense international scrutiny.
Our research provides a process-based understanding of the impacts of global change on land-based systems. Our data provide a baseline for quantifying the impacts of human-induced climate variability and change, and measuring the success of mitigation strategies.
Our results will be used in integrated assessment of the impacts of global change, and to determine the potential environmental, economic and social consequences for New Zealand. As a result, Government policy agencies will be able to determine the success of effective land-based mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make informed policy decisions that maximise investment and minimise risk for the New Zealand economy.
Research themes
- Agricultural greenhouse gas exchange at the farm scale
Primary contact: Johannes Laubach
Provision of robust methods to quantify and forecast emissions and removals of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) at multiple temporal and spatial scales, reducing the uncertainty in New Zealand's agricultural greenhouse gas inventories. - Carbon exchange and inventory
Primary contact: Ian Payton
Development of least-cost methods to quantify and forecast sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the effects of land-use change and management on land-atmosphere CO2 exchange at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Working with our EBEX21® programme we also enable businesses and landowners to measure, manage and mitigate CO2 emissions. - Nanotechnology applications
Primary contact: Guodong Yuan
Development of nanomaterials with properties designed specifically for a range of potential applications for environmental improvement. Our team is internationally recognised, and is building New Zealand capability in the emerging field of nanotechnology. - New technologies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions
Primary contact: Surinder Saggar
Research to understand the processes that regulate emissions and removals of nitrous oxide and methane, including measurement and modelling, to develop novel mitigation technologies, and estimation of potential of efficacy of mitigation strategies. - Risks and opportunities
Primary contact: David Whitehead
Identification of risks and opportunities of the impacts of global change to the biophysical functioning and resilience of natural and managed terrestrial systems, using a process-based understanding to develop models for integrative analysis of responses, including feedback effects. - Socio-economic implications of adaptation to global change
Primary contact: Fiona Carswell
Development of knowledge, networks and strategies to embed mitigation and adaptation practices into regional and national economic and sustainable development initiatives. An integrated assessment in collaboration with other providers will enable key decision-making agencies to plan appropriate policy for New Zealand’s economic and social responses to global change.
Research collaborations
The Global Change Processes Team works collaboratively with colleagues whose expertise complements our own, to bring together the best research team for specific projects. We subcontract about 10% of our Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST) funding to NIWA, AgResearch, Lincoln University, and we collaborate widely with national and international researchers.
Tools & Services
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Carbon calculator
A tool for users to examine the potential viability of “carbon farming” -
EBEX21®
Emissions/Biodiversity Exchange in the 21st century. Generate carbon credits from forest regeneration projects. -
New Zealand carbon accounting system (NZCAS)
The national carbon accounting system (NZCAS) for New Zealand’s indigenous forest, shrubland and soils was developed for the Ministry of the Environment by Landcare Research and Scion. The NZCAS helps New Zealand meet its international commitments to report on carbon stock changes in indigenous forest.
Science leader
 | David Whitehead Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: 03 321 9999 |