Because of covid restrictions, this month's public talk will be via Zoom. Logon details will be emailed out at the end of the week preceding the talk.
Postgraduate students Elizabeth de Jongh (University of Canterbury) and Fraser Gurney (Lincoln University) will speak on their research projects carried out in 2021, assisted by North Canterbury's Stocker Scholarships. Elizabeth will speak about changes in moth biodiversity in tussock grassland over the last 60 years. Little is known about native insect biodiversity in New Zealand and how trends are changing over time. This study follows seminal research (1960s, 1980s) by Graeme White near the Cass Mountain Research station, and examines how land use, vegetation and faunal changes as well as the impact of altered plant diversity have affected moth biodiversity in the high country.
Fraser Gurney's research examined breeding movements and winter dispersal of black-fronted terns through the use of GPS tracking devices. This enabled identification of specific habitats used by terns, migration and the most favoured coastal wintering sites. The data gathered is new to science and of significant benefit to black-fronted tern conservation and the preservation of this nationally endangered endemic species.