Sustainable Land Management
Better understanding the interactions between economic use, biodiversity conservation and pest management within primary production systems, in order to sustain New Zealand's unique and endemic biodiversity. The focus is on both agricultural and forestry systems where the primary management objective is economic use (e.g., meat, wool or timber production).
(Academic staff working within each theme are listed in brackets - the theme leader's name is listed first.)
Biodiversity conservation in primary production systems (David Norton, Hamish Cochrane)
Understanding the interactions between primary production (e.g., grazing or timber extraction) and biodiversity conservation. In this theme our research considers the ways in which primary production can be modified to enhance native biodiversity without compromising the economic viability of the land unit.
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Restoration ecology is the key management tool that is available to increase native biodiversity within primary production systems. Here our research is addressing the factors that limit the success of restoration as a basis for being able to more successfully implement restoration programmes within primary production systems.
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Pest management in primary production systems (Hamish Cochrane, David Norton)
Complex interactions between pest species (plant and animal) and both primary production and biodiversity conservation. Management of pest species requires consideration of both of these factors, as focusing on one can result in unwanted outcomes for the other.
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Continuous cover forestry (CCF) (Bruce Manley, David Norton, David Evison)
The economics of management of uneven-aged mixed species beech forests in New Zealand. In collaboration with Landcare Research, the School is developing models to understand the ecology of beech forests better and evaluate the timber yields and financial returns from sustainable beech forest management.
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The NZ Dryland Forest Initiative aims to create a resource of naturally-durable eucalypts that are environmentally adapted to NZ drylands from East Cape to Otago. Selection, trials and introduction of eucalypts that are well-adapted to dry sites; screening for desired families; product characerisation and markets. Eucalypts can produce high quality timber and sequester carbon more rapidly than other species on dryland sites. This research targets non-forestry clients such as the wine industry.
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This project will develop a system for assessing site factors critical to tree growth and forest management, species selection, limitations to forest management, and risk of disease and pests for New Zealand. The system will be available as decision-support software, provided in downloadable form on the web and promoted directly to land owners and foresters.
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