Amanda’s research expertise is in environmental soil and water chemistry, focusing on major nutrient cycling, including the incorporation of molecular techniques to explore the relationship between functional gene expression and soil product activity.

She has recently focused her research on ecosystem resilience in soils from managed and natural ecosystems, with a particular focus on investigating disease resistant traits (i.e. evidence of PTA resistance in kauri forests). She is also part of a Māori Biosecurity Focus Group, seconded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, and is funded by MBIE to establish a Māori biosecurity network.

Amanda completed her BSc (Geology) and MSc (Environmental Science) at the University of Otago, before working at the Otago Regional Council and then CRL Energy as a consultant. She returned to academia with an ESR doctoral scholarship to study soil chemistry at Lincoln  University, and was awarded an MSI Postdoctoral Fellowship (TTP scheme) before being employed in 2013 as a lecturer within the Bio-Protection Research Centre.

Tūhoe Whakatōhea Whānau-ā-Apanui
Lecturer / Māori Kaihautū
Lincoln University

Related Projects

Full project Kia Tō Kia Tipu - Seeding Excellence

Project commenced:

Whakahonotia Ngā Taonga Rerekē – Exploring Māori Values and Uses of Ecological Bio-control Agents

What values do Māori use to shape their views around the use of bio-control agents to control both exotic and Indigenous species and to values, and how to they assign risk posed by the introduction of a bio-control agent and when is it deemed unacceptable?

Scoping project

Project commenced:

Te Tira Whakamātaki – Māori Biosecurity, protecting our taonga for future generations

Our main question is ‘do hapū and Iwi  views  and practices provide an alternative paradigm to New Zealand’s biosecurity system to better protect our taonga species?

Māori have developed practices and methods such as the use of ritenga (customs, laws, and protocols) and whakapapa (species assemblages within a holistic ecosystem paradigm) to mitigate risks and threats to both endemic biodiversity and primary production systems from pests, weeds and pathogens. However, the 21st century has seen a rapid increase in species introductions to New Zealand, with dramatic consequences for both Māori livelihoods and cultural integrity.