Teresa Konlechner staff profile, Academic staff, School of Geography

Lecturer

BAppSci(Otago)
PhD(Otago)

Richardson Building room 4C3
Office Hours: email to make an appointment
Tel +64 3 479 8856
Email teresa.konlechner@otago.ac.nz

Teaching

ENVI 311 Understanding Environmental Issues
ENVI 312 Interdisciplinary Aspects of Climate Change
GEOG 201 Field Research Methods
GEOG 301 Field Research Studies
GEOG 397 Environmental Management: Policy and Practice

Research Interests

Teresa’s research interests lie in all aspects of geomorphology and ecology. She focuses on understanding the dynamics of vegetated coastal environments, including the processes of erosion, sediment transport, and deposition that shape these landscapes. Her work often involves studying the impacts of climate change and human activities on coastal systems, aiming to develop strategies for sustainable management and conservation of these important ecosystems. Teresa employs a range of methods, including field studies, remote sensing, and eco-geomorphic assessments, to investigate how natural and anthropogenic factors influence coastal morphology and ecosystem health. She is particularly focused on the development and implementation of living shorelines (nature-based solutions), which use natural materials and vegetation to mitigate hazards and protect coastlines, while enhancing ecosystem health and resilience. Her research also encompasses the conservation and restoration of species and ecosystems, invasive species, and the evolution and function of coastal environments (i.e. sand dunes, wetlands, coral islands) in response to changing disturbance regimes.

Current Postgraduate Supervision

Rose Somerville (MSc), Assessing the decline of a cultural and ecological keystone species (pīkao/pīngao) in coastal Otago (Primary Supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).
Jimmy Daamen (MSc), Quantifying foredune response and dune destabilisation to wave erosion (Primary supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).
Ralph Roob (PhD, University of Melbourne), Investigating the ecological, geomorphologic and engineered influence of artificial shellfish reefs in addressing coastal hazard impacts (Primary Supervisor: Rebecca Morris (UoM), co-supervisors: Teresa Konlechner (UoO), Steve Swearer (UoWA)).

Completed postgraduate supervision

2023 Niall Quinn (PGDipSc), How do we measure the “effectiveness” of living shoreline approaches to coastal hazard mitigation (Primary Supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).
2022 Jinjuan Gao (PhD, University of Melbourne), Patterns and drivers of vegetation change in coastal dunes (Primary supervisor: David Kennedy, co-supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).
2022 Marita McGuirk (PhD, University of Melbourne), Vegetation as a control on incipient foredune formation (Primary supervisor: David Kennedy, co-supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).
2018 Zhenni Jiang (MSc, University of Melbourne), Foredune Dynamics on the Coast of Port Phillip Bay (Primary supervisor: David Kennedy, co-supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).
2017 Jack Solomon (BScHons), Foredune Geomorphology along Ninety Mile Beach (Primary supervisor: David Kennedy, co-supervisor: Teresa Konlechner).

Publications

Morris, R. L., Campbell-Hooper, E., Waters, E., Bishop, M. J., Lowe, R. J., Strain, E. M. A., … Konlechner, T. M., … Swearer, S. E. (2024). Current extent and future opportunities for living shorelines in Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 917, 170363. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170363 Journal - Research Article

Petrie, S. B., Hilton, M. J., Konlechner, T. M., & Borrie, D. R. (2023). Does tidal phase determine successful plant colonisation of atoll lagoon islands in the Maldives? Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science, 293, 108480. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2023.108480 Journal - Research Article

Barnett, J., Jarillo, S., Swearer, S. E., Lovelock, C. E., Pomeroy, A., Konlechner, T., … Lowe, R. (2022). Nature-based solutions for atoll habitability. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 377, 20210124. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0124 Journal - Research Other

Gao, J., Kennedy, D. M., Konlechner, T. M., McSweeney, S., Chiaradia, A., & McGuirk, M. (2022). Changes in the vegetation cover of transgressive dune fields: A case study in Cape Woolamai, Victoria. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms, 47(3), 778-792. doi: 10.1002/esp.5284 Journal - Research Article

McGuirk, M. T., Kennedy, D. M., & Konlechner, T. (2022). The role of vegetation in incipient dune and foredune development and morphology: A review. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(2), 414-428. doi: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-21-00021.1 Journal - Research Other

2024

Journal - Research Article

2023

Journal - Research Article

2022

Journal - Research Article

Konlechner, T. M., & Hilton, M. J. (2022). Post-disturbance evolution of a prograded foredune barrier during a sustained dynamic restoration project: The role of wind speed, wind direction and vegetation. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms, 47, 3435-3452. doi: 10.1002/esp.5466

Journal - Research Other

2021

Authored Book - Research

Hilton, M., & Konlechner, T. (2021). The Rakiura Dune Restoration Programme (1999-2021): Lessons learned from 21 years of operations, monitoring and research. Dunedin, New Zealand: Uniprint, 110p.

Journal - Research Article

McGuirk, M. T., Kennedy, D. M., Konlechner, T., & Chiaradia, A. (2021). Quantifying changes in surface elevation in conjunction with growth characteristics of incipient and foredune vegetation. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(1), 216-224. doi: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-20-00014.1

2020

Journal - Research Article

Konlechner, T. M., Kennedy, D. M., O'Grady, J. J., Leach, C., Ranasinghe, R., Carvalho, R. C., … Ierodiaconou, D. (2020). Mapping spatial variability in shoreline change hotspots from satellite data; a case study in southeast Australia. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science, 246, 107018. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2020.107018

Carvalho, R. C., Kennedy, D. M., Niyazi, Y., Leach, C., Konlechner, T. M., & Ierodiaconou, D. (2020). Structure-from-motion photogrammetry analysis of historical aerial photography: Determining beach volumetric change over decadal scales. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms, 45, 2540-2555. doi: 10.1002/esp.4911

Gao, J., Kennedy, D. M., & Konlechner, T. M. (2020). Coastal dune mobility over the past century: A global review. Progress in Physical Geography, 44(6), 814-836. doi: 10.1177/0309133320919612

Kennedy, D. M., Oliver, T. S. N., Tamura, T., Murray-Wallace, C. V., Thom, B. G., Rosengren, N. J., … Konlechner, T., & Woodroffe, C. D. (2020). Holocene evolution of the Ninety Mile Beach sand barrier, Victoria, Australia: The role of sea level, sediment supply and climate. Marine Geology, 430, 106366. doi: 10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106366

2019

Journal - Research Article

Konlechner, T. M., Kennedy, D. M., Cousens, R. D., & Woods, J. L. D. (2019). Patterns of early-colonising species on eroding to prograding coasts; implications for foredune plant communities on retreating coastlines. Geomorphology, 327, 404-416. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.11.013

Morris, R. L., Strain, E. M. A., Konlechner, T. M., Fest, B. J., Kennedy, D. M., Arndt, S. K., & Swearer, S. E. (2019). Developing a nature-based coastal defence strategy for Australia. Australian Journal of Civil Engineering, 17(2), 167-176. doi: 10.1080/14488353.2019.1661062

Hilton, M. J., Borrie, D. R., Konlechner, T. M., Wakes, S. J., Lane, T. P., Kench, P. S., … Aslam, M. (2019). A first evaluation of the contribution of aeolian sand transport to lagoon island accretion in the Maldives. Aeolian Research, 39, 47-65. doi: 10.1016/j.aeolia.2019.04.006

Hilton, M., Konlechner, T., McLachlan, K., Lim, D., & Lord, J. (2019). Long-lived seed banks of Ammophila arenaria prolong dune restoration programs. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 23, 461-471. doi: 10.1007/s11852-018-0675-0

2018

Journal - Research Article

Oliver, T. S. N., Kennedy, D. M., Tamura, T., Murray-Wallace, C. V., Konlechner, T. M., Augustinus, P. C., & Woodroffe, C. D. (2018). Interglacial-glacial climatic signatures preserved in a regressive coastal barrier, southeastern Australia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 501, 124-135. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.04.011

Kennedy, D. M., Konlechner, T., Zavadil, E., Mariani, M., Wong, V., Ierodiaconou, D., & Macreadie, P. (2018). Invasive cordgrass (Spartina spp.) in south-eastern Australia induces island formation, salt marsh development, and carbon storage. Geographical Research, 56(1), 80-91. doi: 10.1111/1745-5871.12265

Morris, R. L., Konlechner, T. M., Ghisalberti, M., & Swearer, S. E. (2018). From grey to green: Efficacy of eco-engineering solutions for nature-based coastal defence. Global Change Biology, 24(5), 1827-1842. doi: 10.1111/gcb.14063

Hilton, M., Walter, R., Greig, K., & Konlechner, T. (2018). Burial, erosion, and transformation of archaeological landscapes: Case studies from southern New Zealand (Aotearoa). Progress in Physical Geography, 42(5), 607-627. doi: 10.1177/0309133318795844

2017

Journal - Research Article

Hilton, M., Nickling, B., Wakes, S., Sherman, D., Konlechner, T., Jermy, M., & Geoghegan, P. (2017). An efficient, self-orienting, vertical-array, sand trap. Aeolian Research, 25, 11-21. doi: 10.1016/j.aeolia.2017.01.003

2016

Journal - Research Article

Wakes, S. J., Hilton, M. J., & Konlechner, T. (2016). Topographic steering of oblique incident winds across a foredune-parabolic topography, Mason Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand. Journal of Coastal Research, 75(Spec. Iss.), 343-347. doi: 10.2112/SI75-069.1

Konlechner, T. M., Orlovich, D. A., & Hilton, M. J. (2016). Restrictions in the sprouting ability of an invasive coastal plant, Ammophila arenaria, from fragmented rhizomes. Plant Ecology, 217(5), 521-532. doi: 10.1007/s11258-016-0597-6

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Hilton, M. J., Hatcher, S. V., Wakes, S. J., & Konlechner, T. M. (2016). Flow deflection and deceleration across a simple foredune. Journal of Coastal Research, (Spec. Iss. 75), (pp. 293-297). doi: 10.2112/SI75-059.1

Buckley, E. E. C. B., Hilton, M. J., Konlechner, T. M., & Lord, J. M. (2016). Downwind sedimentation and habitat development following ammophila arenaria removal and Dune Erosion, Mason Bay, New Zealand. Journal of Coastal Research, (Spec. Iss. 75), (pp. 268-272). doi: 10.2112/SI75-54.1

Konlechner, T. M., Buckley, E. E. C. B., Hilton, M. J., & Wakes, S. J. (2016). Downwind dune dynamics following Ammophila arenaria invasion. Journal of Coastal Research, 1(Spec. Iss. 75), (pp. 298-302). doi: 10.2112/SI75-60.1

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Hilton, M., Sirguey, P., & Konlechner, T. (2016, November). Destabilising New Zealand's largest foredune, Mason Bay, Stewart Island. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Coastal Society (NZCS) 24th Annual Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Hilton, M., Hatcher, S., Wakes, S. J., & Konlechner, T. M. (2016, February). Flow deflection and beach-foredune sedimentation during oblique and alongshore incident winds, St Kilda Beach, New Zealand. Panel discussion at the New Zealand Geographical Society Conference: Geographical Interactions, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2015

Journal - Research Article

Konlechner, T. M., Ryu, W., Hilton, M. J., & Sherman, D. J. (2015). Evolution of foredune texture following dynamic restoration, Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand. Aeolian Research, 19, 203-214. doi: 10.1016/j.aeolia.2015.06.003

Konlechner, T. M., Hilton, M. J., & Lord, J. M. (2015). Plant community response following the removal of the invasive Lupinus arboreus in a coastal dune system. Restoration Ecology, 23(5), 607-614. doi: 10.1111/rec.12234

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Buckley, E., Hilton, M., Konlechner, T., & Lord, J. (2015). Downwind sedimentation and habitat development following Ammophila arenaria removal and dune erosion. In C. Ergler & S. Connelly (Eds.), Proceedings of the Postgraduate Symposium. (pp. 31). Dunedin, New Zealand: Department of Geography, University of Otago. [Abstract]

2014

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Konlechner, T. M., Hilton, M. J., & Arens, S. M. (2014). Transgressive dune development following deliberate de-vegetation for dune restoration in The Netherlands and New Zealand. Dynamiques environnementales: Proceedings of the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC) Symposium & Field Workshop: Integrated Coastal Dune Management in Europe. 33, (pp. 140-152). [Full Paper]

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gade, N., & Konlechner, T. (2014). Will Fiji marine protected areas be successful? In T. Konlechner & S. Connelly (Eds.), Proceedings of the Postgraduate Symposium. (pp. 22). Retrieved from http://www.geography.otago.ac.nz/resources

Buckley, E., Hilton, M., & Konlechner, T. (2014). Effects of increased sedimentation on the down-wind deflation surface plant communities following dynamic dune restoration. In T. Konlechner & S. Connelly (Eds.), Proceedings of the Postgraduate Symposium. (pp. 12). Retrieved from http://www.geography.otago.ac.nz/resources

2013

Journal - Research Article

Konlechner, T. M., Hilton, M. J., & Orlovich, D. A. (2013). Accommodation space limits plant invasion: Ammophila arenaria survival on New Zealand beaches. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 17(3), 463-472. doi: 10.1007/s11852-013-0244-5

2011

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Hilton, M., & Konlechner, T. (2011). Incipient foredunes developed from marine-dispersed rhizome of Ammophilia arenaria. Journal of Coastal Research, 1(Special Issue 64), (pp. 288-292). [Full Paper]

2010

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Konlechner, T. M., & Hilton, M. J. (2010). Ammophila arenaria (marram grass) persistence through seedling recruitment. In S. M. Zydenbos (Ed.), Proceedings of the 17th Australasian Weeds Conference: New Frontiers in New Zealand: Together we can Beat the Weeds. (pp. 390-393). Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Plant Protection Society. [Full Paper]

Hilton, M. J., & Konlechner, T. M. (2010). A review of the marram grass eradication programme (1999-2009), Stewart Island, New Zealand. In S. M. Zydenbos (Ed.), Proceedings of the 17th Australasian Weeds Conference: New frontiers in New Zealand: Together we can Beat the Weeds. (pp. 386-389). Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Plant Protection Society. [Full Paper]

Commissioned Report for External Body

Konlechner, T., & Hilton, M. (2010). Post-spray regeneration of tree lupin: Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury. Commissioned by Department of Conservation. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. 26p.

2009

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Hilton, M., Woodley, D., Sweeney, C., & Konlechner, T. (2009). The development of a prograded foredune barrier following Ammophila arenaria eradication, Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island. Journal of Coastal Research [Special Issue]. 56, (pp. 317-321). [Full Paper]

Konlechner, T. M., & Hilton, M. J. (2009). The potential for marine dispersal of Ammophila arenaria (Marram grass) rhizome in New Zealand. Journal of Coastal Research [Special Issue]. 56, (pp. 434-437). [Full Paper]

Commissioned Report for External Body

Hilton, M., & Konlechner, T. (2009). Post-spray regeneration of tree lupin: Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury. Commissioned by Department of Conservation. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. 16p.

Hilton, M. J., & Konlechner, T. M. (2009). Strategies for the eradication of freesia (Freesia alba x leichtlinii); African pigs ear (Cotyledon orbiculata); Pyp grass (Ehrharta villosa); and tree aeonium (Aeonium arboreum) from Barkers Knoll and Wyndgate, Coorang National Park, South Australia: A report to the Department for Environment & Heritage, South Australia. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. 47p.

2008

Journal - Research Article

Konlechner, T. M. (2008). The management challenge posed by marine dispersal of terrestrial plants in coastal dune systems. New Zealand Geographer, 64(2), 154-156.

Commissioned Report for External Body

Konlechner, T., & Hilton, M. (2008). An assessment of the potential to eradicate exotic grasses from Sealer's Bay, Whenuahou (Codfish Island). Commissioned by Department of Conservation. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. 43p.

Hilton, M., & Konlechner, T. (2008). The effectiveness of a tree lupin (Lupinus arboreus) eradication operation Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury. Commissioned by Department of Conservation. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. 30p.

2005

Authored Book - Other

Hilton, M., & Konlechner, T. (2005). A report on the sand dunes of Hakapureirei (Sandhill Point) for the Department of Conservation (Southland) & Te Runaka o Oraka-Aparima. Dunedin, New Zealand: Southern Dune Research Group, University of Otago, 14p.