Past Events

The 2011 New Zealand Fungal Foray

A talk by David Orlovich. The 25th New Zealand Fungal Foray visited the Taupo region, and it was one of the most productive collecting trips weve had for a long time. We didnt let the wet weather inhibit our collecting too much, and were really impressed with the huge number of Cortinarius species we found. I will present a slide show of some of the best findings. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Botanical "Show and Tell" Evening

Members are invited to bring items of botanical interest to the monthly meeting and talk about them. Items may be short slides shows, books, photographs, plants or any plant related object that has a story attached. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Plant-environment interactions: plant strategies and applications

A talk by Dr Rainer Hoffman, Lincoln University, Christchurch. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. In their natural environment, plants are exposed to a wide spectrum of environmental variables, including peak levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in summer, limited availability of water and nutrients, and many other abiotic and biotic factors. While the effects of these variables can impose considerable stress on plants, frequently they can also contribute to cross-tolerance. In many of these cases, flavonoids have been implicated as biochemical mediators. Our findings highlight the importance of UV radiation-mediated flavonoid production for preconditioning plants to better cope with other environmental variables such as drought. Our results are in line with plant strategy theory, indicating that investment into biochemical protection can come at a cost for primary productivity. The findings provide new avenues for plant improvement and crop production via the selection of productive germplasm that contains key protective metabolites to balance trade-offs between plant productivity and stress resistance. Applications of this knowledge in viticulture and oenology are also discussed. Note: Special time, day and Venue: Benham Seminar Room, Zoology Department.

Field Trip to Shag Point

Rain date Monday 6th June (Queen's Birthday holiday). Meet at the Botany Department car park at 9.00 a.m.

Antioxidative strategies of intertidal macroalgae to radiation stress

A talk by Dr Ralf Rautenberger, DGF Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

Botany of the North Hector Range

A talk by John Barkla. After the summer camp a joint Wellington and Otago Botanical Society group traversed the northern Hector Mountains from The Remarkables Skifield to Lake Hope. John will give an illustrated talk on that trip and the diverse botany of the Hector Mountains. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Title to be advised

An MSc proposal talk by Emma Wallace, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

An investigation into the symbiosis of Pseudocyphellaria crocata

A final MSc talk by Jess Yardley, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

Field trip to Waipori Gorge

Due to the heavy rain we had over the last few days, which is continuing, we have unfortunately canceled this trip. Fungal foray to Waipori Gorge. Waipori has proven to be a real treasure trove of interesting fungi, so we'll be finding out what's there on Sunday. Bring your lunch, drink, a camera, warm clothes, wet weather gear and suitable tramping shoes. Meet at the Botany Dept car park at 9:00 a.m., we'll aim to return by 4 p.m.

Annual General Meeting and Photographic Competition

Judging of the 5th BSO photographic competition and a brief AGM. Entries will be on display, photographic tips given and prizes presented. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Field trip to Akatore

Akatore is a remnant of diverse coastal shrubland at the mouth of Akatore Creek 45 minutes south of Dunedin. Some special features of this site include the diversity of shrub species and threatened species such as Coprosma obconica, Olearia fragrantissima, Melicytus flexuosus and Carex littorosa with the possibility of our discovering other threatened species. We may also visit the adjacent coast where the threatened cress Lepidium tenuicaule is present as well as Myosotis pygmaea. Depart from the Dept of Botany Carpark, cnr Great King Street and Union Street (West).

Plant strategies along small-scale snowmelt gradients in New Zealand

A final MSc talk by Annika Korsten, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

Oxidative damage & antioxidant defences of Ulva pertusa & a mollusk following contamination

Full title: Oxidative damage and antioxidant defences of the macroalgae Ulva pertusa and an associated grazing mollusk in response to fluoranthene contamination. A final MSc talk by Nikita Engels, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

What is the role of facilitation in structuring alpine communities?

A PhD proposal by Britt Cranston, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

Toxins, climate change and marine invertebrates

A PhD proposal by Kathryn Lister, Dept of Botany, University of Otago. A Department of Botany Lunchtime Seminar. Note: Special time and Venue: Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St