Sarah Seeley: Drivers of Insect Diversity and Plant-Pollinator Interaction Networks of the Canterbury Port Hills Restoration Plantings.
Across the Port Hills in Canterbury the Christchurch City Council has carried out an array of restoration plantings over the past 20 years. These plantings represent a unique opportunity to study the reestablishment of biodiversity in restored areas. I looked at the community stability, composition, and interaction networks within these plantings while also investigating drivers of pollinator biodiversity reestablishment. My overall goal was to gather this information and pass it back to those undertaking these plantings to ensure best practices for biodiversity outcomes in future projects.
Lexi Hunter: The success of the European hedgehog (europaeus erinaceus) at navigating predator control methods
With hedgehog research in its early days at the moment, there is much to be done. I am currently looking at how they navigate through predator control methods, including fence lines and doc 150s trapping and the success rates of these methods. This work is being used to further influence hedgehog best practice.
Supper and a chat afterwards.