Ecosystem Process
Introduction
The Ecosystem Process team brings a diverse range of skills to bear on acquiring the knowledge necessary to manage natural ecosystems. Our approach is to examine ecosystems from community, population and functional perspectives, and their interactions, using our skills in soil biology, paleaecology, nutrient cycling, informatics, animal and plant ecology. The principle behind our research is to "seek simplicity but distrust it". Our research spans projects on fundamental ecological principles through to applied problems.
Research themes
- Biodiversity & global change
Primary contact: Janet Wilmshurst
No part of the landscape can escape global change. Alpine areas, drylands, and wetlands are highly sensitive to climate change and fire. Knowing how ecosystems have responded in the past, and how and why they are changing now, will allow end-users to plan strategies, restoration initiatives, and reserve design to reverse biodiversity decline. Maori wish to manage their forests for specific values and products, and need to know how climate impacts on their biodiversity - Conservation and Carbon
Primary contact: Fiona Carswell
Conservation lands cover c. 33% of New Zealand and contain NZ’s biggest stock of forest carbon. However, relatively little is known about the management actions that enhance carbon storage or reduce carbon leakage. In addition, almost nothing is known about how the rate of carbon storage changes during indigenous forest successions. - Forest ecosystem processes
Primary contact: Peter Bellingham
Understanding the role of natural and human-related disturbance on natural forest ecosystems at a range of spatial and temporal scales - Indigenous Forestry
Primary contact: Rob Allen
Developing low-impact silvicultural systems for mixed-species forests and providing the basis for restoring previously logged forests - Invasion Ecology
Primary contact: Duane Peltzer
Understanding what controls the invasibility of natural ecosystems as well as the ecosystem-level impacts of exotic species as a basis for management - Prehistoric Settlement Impacts
Primary contact: Janet Wilmshurst
Prehistoric human impacts in New Zealand began almost immediately with the arrival of the first settlers. Even relatively small populations of people cause detectable impacts on previously uninhabited ecosystems and the colonisation of New Zealand was no exception. - Seabird Ecology
Primary contact: Philip Lyver
Determining the factors controlling seabird (including penguins) dynamics and the influence of seabirds on terrestrial ecosystems - Vegetation data information systems
Primary contact: Susan Wiser
Providing state-of-the-art data management of a continually growing plot and trait based resource by anticipating and meeting the needs of a wide range of end-users
Tools & Services
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National Vegetation Survey (NVS) databank
This physical archive includes plot sheets, maps, and photographs from many years of vegetation surveys. Software that was specifically prepared for summarising data and statistical analysis is available.
Science leader
 | Rob Allen Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: 03 321 9999 |