Ines Schonberger

Research interests

Academic qualifications:

PhD Botany (University of Canterbury, 2002)
(Dissertation: Biosystematics and taxonomy of the Ozothamnus leptophyllus (Compositae complex in New Zealand)

Diploma (equivalent to Masters of Science First Class Honours) (University of Regensburg, Germany, 1995)
(Dissertation: Untersuchungen zur Verbreitung der Farn- und Blütenpflanzen im Gebiet der TK Donaustauf)

Years as a practising researcher: 21

Track record:

Honours/distinctions/membership of societies, institutions, committees:

2000-2002 University of Canterbury Doctoral scholarship
1998-2000 Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship
Member: Regensburger Botanische Gesellschaft

Professional positions held:

2007– Herbarium Manager, Allan Herbarium, Landcare Research
2004–2007 Collection Administrator, Allan Herbarium, Landcare Research
2004 Tutor, Institute of Molecular BioSciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand. Courses taught: Biology of Cells (162.101).
2002–2003 Collection assistant, Department of Botany, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA.
1998–2001 Tutor in Botany, part time, Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Courses taught: Biosystematics and Evolution, I and II (PAMS 205 and PAMS 306), Diversity of Life (PAMS 113).
1997 Assistant curator, Herbarium of the Regensburgische Botanische Gesellschaft (REG), Regensburg, Germany.
Tutor, part time, Botany Department of the University of Regensburg, Germany. Courses taught: Practical course in Systematic Botany for graduate students, Physiology and Anatomy of plants for undergraduate students.
1996 Research assistant, topic: Phylogenetic relationships within Paxillus s. l. (Basidiomycetes, Boletales) based on measurement of relative contents of nuclear DNA using cytofluorometry.
1995 Tutor, part time, Botany Department of the University of Regensburg, Germany. Courses taught: Practical course in Systematic Botany for graduate students.
1989–1995 Research assistant, topic: Floristic mapping of the flora of Germany, especially Bavaria. Contributions made to the following projects: Central German database of vascular plants (“Datenbank Blütenpflanzen”), a mapping project of the “Floristischen Kartierung Deutschlands”. Contributed to the developments of the “Verbreitungsatlas der Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Bayerns” (Atlas for Bavaria). Experience obtained in the use of Florein, an interactive DOS program for floristic data.

Present research/professional speciality:

• Plant systematics
• Plant taxonomy and nomenclature
• Plant (weed) identifications
• Weed risk assessments

Major publications

Mitchell A, Li R, Brown JW, Schoenberger I, Wen J 2012. Ancient divergence and biogeography of Raukaua (Araliaceae) and close relatives in the southern hemisphere. Australian systematic botany 25(6): 432-446.
Heenan PB, Schönberger I 2009: Typification of Myosotis hortensia Decne., the basionym of Myosotidium hortensium (Decne.) Baill., and its synonym Cynoglossum nobile Hook.f. (Boraginaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47:121-125.
Emshwiller E, Niezgoda C, Schönberger I 2003. Storage solutions for economic botany collections. The 44th Annual Meeting of the Society for Economic Botany (SEB) at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona, USA., June 2 - June 5, 2003.
Bresinsky A, Jorosch M, Fischer M, Schönberger I, Whittmann-Bresinsky B 1999. Phylogenetic relationships within Paxillus s. l. (Basidiomycetes, Boletales): Separation of a southern hemisphere genus. Plant biol. 1: 327-333.

Major achievements in commercial, social and environmental areas

• Supervise and guide tours through the Allan Herbarium for a range of groups: U3A Canterbury (University of the 3rd Age), The QEII Strollers, Aoraki Conservation Board, British Council Directors, Scion Directors, student classes from Lincoln University and Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.
• Supervise students on Work Experience in the herbarium.
• Contributed to the Containment Facility Manual and the EPA “Import into containment” application. Co-author herbarium policies, standards and procedures, manuals, guidelines, visitor instructions.
• Active involvement in the MORST project funded by the NZODA Contestable Fund (NZAID) “Pacific Plant Specimen Collections and associated Data in the Allan Herbarium, Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand”.

Demonstration of relationships with end-users

• Coordinate the delivery and documentation of the Plant Information/Identification Service for Regional Councils, DoC, ESR, Private Consultants, General Public, Universities, Herbaria, etc.).
• Conduct Weed Risk Assessments for EPA, MPI, for smaller businesses (e.g. nurseries) and for members of the general public.
• Contribute to the ongoing expansion, checking, and validation of the plant nomenclature and bibliographic modules of Allan Herbarium and Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database (http://nzflora.landcareresearch.co.nz/)
• Respond to Web feedback for the Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
• Communicate with end-users regarding the databases and collections and incorporate and/or forward suggestions.
• Assist with herbarium databases, including data searching/sourcing, data entry, and associated tasks.

Qualifications

Canterbury
PhD Botany
2002

Publications