Arison Arihafa

MSc student

Principal supervisor
David A. Norton

Contact details
Email: aar33@student.canterbury.ac.nz
Phone: +64 3 354 2978 ext. 8365

Thesis title
Tiromoana Bush vegetation patterns – past, present and future

Project description
Restoration of degraded forest and grasslands helps to bring back native biodiversity and ecosystem functions. My MSc report will look at vegetation restoration plan of Tiromoana Bush, Christchurch, New Zealand. This area is covered with grassland and scattered forest patches containing early colonising plants. I am proposing to map the current vegetation pattern onto aerial photos using an established vegetation classification to assess historical changes in vegetation cover. Analysis of species composition and abundance data from adjacent forest remnants will help in identifying possible future vegetation states for the area with the current restoration plan.

Education
BSc (Hons), University of Papua New Guinea. Dissertation: "Gap dynamics: treefall gap formation and seedling regeneration in Papua New Guinea tropical hill rainforest."