Past Events

More than megaherbs: 200 years of vegetation change on subantarctic Campbell Island

A talk by Alex Fergus. The Campbell Island Bicentennial Expedition team stuck it out on our southernmost landmass for 10 weeks this past summer. As a member of the terrestrial ecology research group, my focus was the recovery of the plant and insect communities and the interaction between seabirds and plant diversity. The vegetation of Campbell Island has changed dramatically in the 200 years since European discovery. Burning, grazing, and the mediated effects of rats have altered species abundances and community structure. Permanent plots and photo points (dating from the 1870s) reveal vegetation damage before 1960 has given way to re-growth and range expansion. The progressive removal of European vertebrates has sparked a remarkable and rapid recovery of many of the iconic, and also the less well-known subantarctic plant species. How much of this recent change is simply recovery and how much is due to climate change is the next big question. Expect lots of pictures mixed in with a wee bit of science and even a few new discoveries for the island. 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

Rain date 7th August (trip originally scheduled for the 16th April but cancelled due to rain). 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).

John Smaillie Tennant Lecture: How many species will survive the 21st century?

Speaker President Emeritus Peter H Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. Scientists project that during the 21st century a major proportion of the worlds estimated 12 million species of plants, animals, and micro-organisms will become extinct.

What can we do to counteract or mitigate the effects of habitat destruction, global climate change, invasive species, and selective hunting and gathering?

• attain a level human population
• adopt reasonable levels of consumption everywhere
• develop new, sustainable technologies

Direct actions to conserve species:

• establishment and protection of nature reserves
• bringing organisms into cultivation, captive colonies, culture collection, or seed banks

Our individual actions will determine the magnitude of the extinction episode that we have already begun—and its impact for thousands or millions of years to come. St. David Lecture Theatre, Corner of St David and Castle Sts, University of Otago.

Ross Creek-Woodhaugh Garden Track Network

Come and beat the mid-winter blues with a half day trip in the heart of Dunedin. We will explore the network of tracks that begin at Woodhaugh Gardens and wind their way up the Water of Leith and into the Ross Creek Reservoir area. There's quite a range of natural vegetation passed on the walk including kahikatea-kowhai-ribbonwood-lacebark forest through to more recent kanuka dominated successional communities. Be prepared for a couple of hours walking on well maintained tracks. The trip will start and finish at Woodhaugh Gardens. Meet at 10 am at the George Street entrance to Woodhaugh Gardens. Back about midday.

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).