Academic and Professional Background

• Background:

  BSc (Hons)

  PhD

  Professor of Plant Biosecurity

• Personal Resume: Professor Phil Hulme's research aims to provide scientists, conservationists and policy makers with the tools to address the problem of biological invasions.

  He was appointed in 2007 as a Chair in Plant Biosecurity that is jointly funded by Lincoln University, where he is based, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

  Philip's primary research interest relates to understanding the ecology of invasions by introduced plant species, assessing the subsequent consequences for natural and managed ecosystems and developing tools to help prevention or management.  

  His studies are not confined to New Zealand and include looking at the threat of hybridization of the introduced Spanish bluebell with the native bluebell in the British Isles, the spread of Caribbean pine from plantations in Sri Lanka, and the escape of a range of tropical trees from botanical gardens in Tanzania. These studies are being extended to New Zealand invasions, tackling the issue of why some weeds have succeeded and others failed since European colonisation, and the opportunities of using existing national surveys for early warning of future weed problems.

  Philip co-ordinates plant and animal invasions risk assessment research in the major European integrated project ALARM (www.alarmproject.net) and since 2003 he has been editor of the Journal of Applied Ecology. From 2002 to 2007, Philip was a member of the UK Government Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment.