bburns3

My research interests broadly cover the field of plant ecology in seeking to understand determinants and mechanisms of plant persistence, distribution and abundance.

I am particularly interested in species-level positive feedback mechanisms. The contexts for this research vary widely but include:

1. Forest ecology. What determines plant species coexistence in native forest ecosystems? How does variation in environment, disturbance regime, and biotic interactions lead to spatial and temporal differences in forest structure and diversity? In Auckland, I’m particularly interested in the unusual forests dominated by the ancient conifer Agathis australis (kauri) and other members of the Araucariaceae, and the ecology of hemiephiphytes such as Metrosideros robusta (northern rata), once a common component of North Island forests.

2. Biodiversity management in urban, rural and plantation forest ecosystems. There is increasing interest in maintaining and increasing native plants and animals in human-dominated landscapes while reducing the impact of invasive species. What determines the persistence of indigenous biota within these landscapes and how can management be adapted that is sympathetic to biodiversity?

3. Ecological restoration. Reversing biodiversity decline now requires restoration of degraded ecosystems. How do we manage natural processes to achieve restoration goals cost-effectively in these systems?

4. Ecosystem and community responses to pest removal in biodiversity sanctuaries. The development of areas where mammalian pests are reduced to near-zero densities has increased dramatically as a conservation strategy in New Zealand, sometimes using pest-proof fencing. What changes and responses in natural communities occur as a result of this intervention, and what contribution to national conservation goals will these techniques achieve?

September 2016