Open ecosystems in forested landscapes: an overlooked biome for species assembly in New Zealand

Speaker: Bill Lee

The talk explores the origin, diversity and contribution of non-forest ecosystems below treeline to the richness and diversity of the New Zealand flora, especially in comparison to the well known Alpine and Forest biomes. Open ecosystems are dominated by light-demanding species and have played a major role in the diversification of genera, giving rise to many species with restricted distributions across diverse habitats. They also present distinctive conservation challenges in addition to predator and weed control but are foundational for the protection of our biological heritage.