Lincoln’s new professor in plant bio-security Philip Hulme has worked in some of the most exotic locations in the world but New Zealand provides perhaps the biggest challenge and opportunity yet.
At just 42 years, the Beirut-born ecologist has worked in the agricultural landscapes of Britain, Arctic tundra of Norway, the Mediterranean shrublands of the Aegean islands, semi-arid caatinga of Brazil, humid tropical forests of Tanzania and the cloud forest of Sri Lanka.
Recently arrived from the UK, Professor Hulme is looking forward to working in New Zealand because we have some of the most severe problems arising from introduced species in the world.
“There is a lot at risk. Most of New Zealand flora and fauna is unique so applying my knowledge to combating this threat is really worthwhile compared with say in Europe where invasive weeds aren’t seen as such a major environmental hazard. With 10% of New Zealand’s workforce involved in agriculture, the spread of invasive plants is also important economically for the country.”
Only a tiny percentage of introduced plants become invasive but when they do they can cause real environmental problems. For example kiwifruit vines have gone wild in North Island native forests and wilding pines have colonised large areas of the South Island’s high country.
Whether an introduced plant will become a problem depends on how it interacts with a habitat including the existing flora and fauna. This can change over time due to different land-uses and climate. By comparing how closely related native and introduced species behave, Professor Hulme is able to come up with general rules which can be used to identify which species are likely to spread and what actions need to be taken to stop them.
“To understand the potential threat we need to know how and where they spread in the environment. What facets of the environment help the species spread? For example, the seeds of some species are carried long-distances down rivers and colonise the riverbanks. Sometimes it is to do with the interaction with fruit-feeding birds that spread seeds across the landscape.”
Professor Hulme says compared with other parts of the world, there is a considerable desire in New Zealand to control biological invasion risks.
“The public and politicians here have brought into bio-security. You don’t get that level of attention in Europe. Here scientists can see their results used. That is the big reward as there is no point doing applied science if there is no will from policymakers to do anything about it.”
At Lincoln Professor Hulme will continue his research and help design and deliver bio-security lectures, seminars and case studies. He is also co-leader of bio-security at the National Centre for Advanced Bio-Protection Technologies where he will lead the cross-institutional research on invasive plant species.