Newsletter Number 80 February 2017 February 2017 BSO Newsletter 80 2 BSO Meetings and Field Trips Saturday 4th February 8.00 am Field Trip to Herbert Forest. One of the positive aspects to come out of plantation forestry has been the setting aside of areas of native vegetation that might otherwise have missed out on protection. Blakely Pacific’s forestry operations at Herbert encircle a number of such areas. Subject to forestry operations this field trip will take us into one of several examples of dry, coastal podocarp forest. Leaving early and returning late afternoon. Further details on our website nearer to the time. Contact John Steel 021 2133 170, email
[email protected] Wed 22nd February 2017 5.20 pm Botanical gems of Stewart Island/Rakiura. Speaker: John Barkla, Department of Conservation. Over the past year John and Marilyn have undertaken a couple of long tramping trips through Stewart Island/Rakiura reacquainting themselves with the island’s amazing biodiversity they first experienced over 25 years ago. John will talk about the special plants and ecosystems for which Stewart Island/Rakiura is now the national stronghold. Wednesday 8th March 5.20 pm Breaking Down Decomposition: Using Teabags to Investigate Decomposition Rates along Aspect and Elevation Gradients. Speaker: Dr. Barbara J. Anderson, Ecologist and Research Scientist, Landcare Research. Barbara and her colleagues use the newly developed Tea Bag Index (TBI) to investigate the relative effects of microclimate on decomposition rate along aspect and elevation gradients on Mt. Cardrona, Central Otago, from 500m to 1936m. The Teabag Index exploits the difference in relative decomposability of Green Tea and Red Tea to construct a decomposition curve over a single three month time period.