LENScience
Harnessing Biodiversity
Protecting our plant-based primary industries from such threats is of vital importance to New Zealand’s economy. This can be achieved through bioprotection science. This seminar explores the work of New Zealand’s leading bioprotection scientists from the Bio-Protection Research Centre, one of New Zealand’s seven Centres of Research Excellence.
The goal of the Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University is to lead a shift away from pesticides to manage pests and towards fully sustainable productive ecosystems for New Zealand's plant?based primary industries
To be able to answer questions about the impact of agriculture and other human activities on our ecosystems, we need to understand the importance of ecosystems to the functioning and survival of human societies.
Ecosystems provide us with goods such as fuel, timber, food for humans and domesticated animals, and pharmaceutical products. What many people don’t appreciate is the importance of ecosystems in providing fundamental life-support services. These include the purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, regulation of climate, maintenance and regeneration of soil fertility, and the lessening of the impact of droughts and floods.
Historically, society has tended to undervalue the importance of the functions provided by ecosystems, yet our survival depends on them. Therefore understanding how to maintain healthy ecosystems is of vital importance and the reason behind the establishment of the Bio-Protection Research Centre.
Seminar paper for Harnessing Biodiversity (4.0 MB, PDF)
Pre-seminar discussion paper for Harnessing Biodiversity (902.6 kB, PDF)
Challenge questions to be completed after the seminar (436.3 kB, PDF)
