Mānuka and kānuka shrublands

Postdoctoral Fellow Laureline Rossignaud

Laureline Rossingnaud (Pou 3.2) has published her first manuscript as a postdoctoral fellow, which is now available in Diversity and Distributions, a journal of conservation and biogeography.

Her scientific paper titled Native vegetation structure, landscape features, and climate shape non-native plant richness and cover in New Zealand native shrublands shares exciting insights into the impact of vegetation structure, landscape features and climate on non-native plant invasions across Aotearoa New Zealand in mānuka and kānuka shrublands.

Drawing from the National vegetation survey dataset surveyed between 2009 and 2014, Laureline analysed 247 permanent 20×20 meter plots distributed across Aotearoa New Zealand.  She measured the number of native and non-native plant species and their coverage at ground, understory and canopy levels.

As part of her study, she used generalised additive models (GAM) to analyse variables that had the potential to influence the richness and cover of non-native species. These variables included climate, native species richness and ground cover in relation to vegetation structure, and how landscape features surrounding these shrublands influence the arrival and establishment of non-native plant species.

This study indicates that the presence of human-made land cover in the surroundings of sample plots favour the arrival and establishment of non-native plant in mānuka and kānuka shrublands, whereas high number of native tree species and canopy cover provides resistance to plant invasions.  It highlights the value of examining both the coverage and richness of plant species at the different vegetation levels.

Although Laureline has published papers before, this is her first publication as a postdoctoral fellow.

“It’s not easy to explain that feeling when you publish a paper…excited, accomplished, and a boost of motivation to do more.” – says Laureline

Read her paper here >