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Ecology and conservation, plants and fungi
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Email: janice.lord@otago.ac.nz
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Phone: +64 3 479 5131

I am a botanist with interests in the evolution, ecology and conservation of New Zealand's unique plants, and how they interact with pollinators, seed dispersers and microbial mutualisms.

My research is motivated by a desire to provide plant-based knowledge that will contribute to species conservation, improved ecosystem services and climate change mitigation. I am currently focused on plant, seed and fungal biology in relation to large-scale native reforestation, in the context of both ecological restoration and carbon sequestration. Current work also includes ecology and regeneration of rare plants, plant structural complexity and invertebrate diversity, limits of beech forest expansion, and effects of weed control methods on native plants and fungi.

I am also interested in traditional use of plants by Māori, particularly how mātauranga and botanical knowledge intersect with respect to plants used in textiles. I was responsible for the design of the 100% native 'greenroof' on the University of Otago's Greenstar-rated William James Building, and for Flora Finder, the smartphone application developed to help identify New Zealand's most common native trees, shrubs and weeds.

Research interests

Plant evolutionary ecology, reproduction and pollination biology; rare plant conservation; mycorrhizal fungi in ecological restoration; carbon sequestration by native plants; culturally important New Zealand plants.

Janice is Principal Investigator for the 1 Billion Trees project Ngā Kākano Whakahau in collaboration with Matt Larcombe and David Orlovich:

Listen to Janice explaining the significance of Mast Seeding for the 2019 Wild Dunedin podcast:
Wild Dunedin podcast (oar website)

Janice was recently invited to talk about the value of native trees for carbon sequestration in the Otago Climate Change Network seminar series, 24 September 2019:
Otago Climate Change Network (YouTube)

Janice is also a collaborator in the Alpine Ecology Research Group with a particular interest in alpine pollination mutualisms and impacts of climate change in alpine regions.
Alpine Ecology Research Group

Her research interests extend to other cold habitats such as the Subantartic islands. In a 2016 podcast from BBC's Planet Earth II, Islands Episode, she explains her interest in subantarctic megaherbs:
Subantartic megaherbs (BBC website)

Teaching involvement

Other departmental responsibilities

Research Theme involvement

Janice is a Research Affiliate of CSAFE (Centre for Sustainability), and a member of the Otago Climate Change Network, OCCnet. She is also involved with the Catchments Otago theme and teaches into the Genetics programme.

Ask A Scientist

Janice has been a regular contributor to the Otago Daily Times' Ask a Scientist column.

Visit the Ask a Scientist page to view the questions and Janice's responses.

Janice Lord image

Publications

Horton, S., Lowther, M., & Lord, J. (2024). Anthoxanthum odoratum (Poaceae) as a bioindicator of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi abundance prior to native revegetation on agricultural soils. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1-11. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/0028825X.2024.2409684 Journal - Research Article

Pritchard, A. S. E., Larcombe, M. J., Steel, J. B., & Lord, J. M. (2024). Plant diversity under native and exotic forests: Implications for transitional forestry in Aotearoa New Zealand. Forest Ecology & Management, 572, 122314. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122314 Journal - Research Article

Crofts-Bennett, J., & Lord, J. (2024). Are evergreen mistletoes on deciduous hosts arthropod winter refugia? New Zealand Entomologist. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00779962.2024.2388662 Journal - Research Article

Milliken, S., Lagrue, C., Lord, J., & Johnson, S. (2024). What is pollinating the critically threatened calcicolous plants in the Waitaki Valley? New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 48(1), 3564. doi: 10.20417/nzjecol.48.3564 Journal - Research Article

Strawsine, M., van Galen, L. G., Lord, J. M., & Larcombe, M. J. (2024). Trophic facilitation in forest restoration: Can Nothofagus trees use ectomycorrhizal fungi of the pioneer shrub Leptospermum? Ecology & Evolution, 14(5), e11442. doi: 10.1002/ece3.11442 Journal - Research Article

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