Long-Term Ecology Laboratory
Landcare Research
PO Box 69040
Gerald Street
Lincoln 7640
New Zealand

Phone +64 3 321 9999
Fax +64 3 321 9998

Palaeoecologists

Kieren Mitchell

Palaeoecologist and molecular biologist and ancient DNA lab director. Specialises in studying biodiversity change, adaptation, evolution, and extinction using genetic data from modern and ancient organisms. Key interests: composition of past plant and animal communities; biology and ecology of extinct species; cryptic species and conservation palaeobiology; historical processes underlying present-day biodiversity.

Alex Boast

Palaeoecologist. Uses multiproxy data such as ancient DNA, pollen, fungal spores, fossils, archaeological remains and historical reports to answer questions relevant to contemporary ecosystems. Areas of interest include: reconstructing past distributions of plants and animals; impacts of extinction; biogeography;and evolution of NZ’s biota.

Janet Wilmshurst

Palaeoecologist and Director of the Long-Term Ecology Laboratory. Analyses modern and fossil pollen, charcoal and testate amoebae analyses of lakes, bogs, swamps, coprolites and cave sediments to reconstruct past vegetation and fire history, initial human impacts, and former plant-animal interactions of extinct birds and introduced kiore (Rattus exulans). Key interests: reconstructing past ecologies and prehuman baseline states to answer current conservation issues.

Matt McGlone

Emeritus researcher. Analyses of long-term vegetation and climate history of New Zealand, plant biogeography, human and climate change impacts on biodiversity. Numerous post-retirement projects on the go, current obsession: gender in the New Zealand flora, taxonomy and ecology of kanuka (Kunzea spp.).

Research technicians

Nic Bolstridge

Prepares microfossil slides from lake sediments, peats, soils, coprolites, caves, fresh dung, and feathers, and manages the Microfossil Preparation Laboratory and refrigerated sample archives.

Karen Boot

Prepares samples for sediment and charcoal analyses, manages the Subsampling Room, field store, transitional facility, and sample archives.

Neoecologists

Jo Carpenter

Researcher of plant-animal interactions and how they have shifted over time, the role of antagonistic interactions (predation, herbivory, etc) in island ecosystems, and factors affecting the conservation of New Zealand's forest birds.

Olivia Burge

A quantitative ecologist with a focus on community ecology, often in wetland ecosystems. Interested in invasion, resilience, plant traits and integrating long-term ecological data with neo-ecological data are key interests – particularly where the intersect.

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