Skip to content

News

A mixed indigenous-dominated tree patch in Waikato delineated from grazed paddock by a fence. Image: S.Graham

Small Tree Patches: Big impact on carbon storage in New Zealand grasslands

A new study reveals small tree patches can have mighty environmental, economic, and cultural benefits in grassland landscapes across Aote...

Phil Novis collecting glacier cores

The summer the Southern Alps turned red

When snow on the Southern Alps turned from white to red in the summer of 2019/2020, ash from Australia’s bushfires was blamed. But resear...

soil core in tray

Digging for treasure: AI tool to help scientists access soil research under development

Callaghan Innovation and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research are digging into artificial intelligence to develop a tool to help scientists...

pico beetle release thumb

Vanuatu expands invasive weed management efforts with landmark release of natural enemies in Espiritu Santo

Following the successful release of the hibiscus bur lace bug in July and the Pico beetle in early November on Efate, the attention now s...

  1. The soil at our feet: Soil scientists digging in to celebrate World Soils Day – 5 December 2024

    Soil scientists from across Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific are gathering in Rotorua next month to celebrate the importance of the soil at our feet, with a conference and unique soil judging competition.

  2. Te Tairawhiti forest fragments: protecting precious pieces of biodiversity

    The danger of losing forests and taonga species due to climate change and an increase in extreme weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle has sparked partnerships between local kaitiaki and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research scientists.

  3. Fortune favours the timid: how a better understanding of stoat behaviour will help predator control in Aotearoa

    It’s well-known that AoNZ’s native ecosystems are under threat from introduced pest predators such as rats, cats, possums and stoats. Trapping efforts, such as those undertaken by Predator Free NZ groups, are effective up to a point – but it is very difficult to achieve 100% eradication of these pre...

  4. Hiding in plain sight – an undetected population of wallabies in Aotearoa

    Wallabies are a significant invasive pest in AoNZ, causing damage to pasture, woodland and native plant communities – and are subject to a national eradication programme.

  5. Barking up the right tree

    Training dogs to detect more than just Phytophthora agathidicida, the fungus that causes kauri dieback

  6. Understanding invasive weeds and natural enemies in the Pacific using multi-scale remote sensing

    Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands, is well-known for its crystal-clear lagoons, sandy beaches and unique biodiversity. However, invasive weeds introduced into Pacific Islands like Rarotonga pose a serious threat to native biodiversity, ecosystems, primary production, and human health.

  7. New flora species recorded in Niue

    Botanist Dr Peter Heenan has made a special botanical discovery on the tiny island nation of Niue, by identifying three new flora species.

  8. Losing our edges: why reserves need to be bigger

    Native shrublands were once common across the Canterbury Plains, but over time, conversion of land to other uses including irrigated pasture have contributed to their gradual decline. Now, a new study by scientists at Manaaki Whenua has found that spillover of nutrients and water from adjacent inten...

  9. Nest survival drives positive responses of native forest birds to predator management

    It is well known that predation by invasive mammals is the primary threat facing Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ)’s remaining native forest birds. Past research by Manaaki Whenua ecologists has demonstrated that distributions of our treasured birds have particularly shrunk in warmer, more northern forest...

  10. TrapSim Plus: a new tool for predator control

    Scientists recently launched a free, user-friendly online application, TrapSim Plus, to help people to plan better, more cost-effective predator control.
See all