Let's Chat - Kauri and Kauri Dieback

On Saturday 23rd February Dr Bruce Burns will be joining us to share his knowledge and research on kauri and kauri dieback. Come along to learn more about one of New Zealand's favourite trees and the disease that is threatening its future.

The talk titled 'Kauri and Kauri dieback; attack on a forest kingdom' will highlight the ecology of kauri and the history and characteristics of kauri dieback. It will run for approx 40minutes and will finish with a quick visit to one of Cornwall parks kauri stands.

Agathis australis (kauri) is a remarkable tree species only found in New Zealand. It is ecologically extreme, growing to a huge size and old age, but also a New Zealand cultural icon. In the forests it occurs in, it is an ecosystem engineer, dramatically influencing the soils around it.

These act to filter the species that can co-occur with kauri, creating distinct kauri forest types. Against this background, a dieback disease of kauri, Phytophthora agathidicida, now threatens this giant of the forest and the ecosystems it supports.

Presenter: Associate Professor Bruce Burns, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland

"Dr Burns has taught plant ecology at the University of Auckland for the past ten years. He has a long research interest in kauri forest. His research on kauri includes describing the composition and distribution of kauri forest communities, understanding the mechanisms determining kauri forest development, kauri mycorrhizae, and, more recently, determining the rate of spread and impact of kauri dieback."