What is the New Zealand Forest Health Research Collaborative?

The New Zealand Forest Health Research Collaborative aims to provide solutions to forest health problems of relevance to its members, through cost effective research and technology transfer, to minimise the effect of pests and diseases on trees, forests, and wood.

Strategy

Theme 1 - Risk Management/ Biosecurity

Objectives:

1. Identify gaps in our current knowledge and research in relation to biological risk, and coordinate research to fill these gaps.

2. Assist in developing technology and skills nationally to be better able to respond and assist, if required, in the event of a high-risk incursion.

Goal:

1. Further develop and enhance post-border forest surveillance technologies or methodologies to ensure any new incursions are discovered rapidly.

2. Identify potential invaders and risk pathways where knowledge is lacking and facilitate research to increase our understanding of these potential invaders, to assist in border management and the management, in the event of an incursion.

3. Facilitate research on established incursions, where there is currently an inadequate level of research.

Theme 2 - Management of Current Pests and Diseases

Objectives:

Maintain and improve the health of New Zealand¡¦s trees and forests, as well as protecting the integrity and appearance of unprocessed wood from biological agents, through research into pest and disease management.

Goal:

1. Determine the economic effects of specific pests and diseases on the health of trees, forests, as well as on the integrity and appearance of unprocessed wood.

2. Identify the interactions between silviculture (planting, weed control, pruning, and thinning) and current pests and diseases.

3. Identify the interactions between genetics and current pests and diseases.

4. Develop technologies such as Biological Control as a long-term tool for selected pests and diseases.

5. Investigate and evaluate new methods of controlling and managing current pests and diseases.

6. Develop surveillance methods and technology to evaluate the general health status of forests, with the objective of assessing changes in Forest Health from year to year.

Theme 3 - Forest Health Toolbox and Technical Transfer

Objectives:

Synthesise technical information into management tools (eg. classification systems, expert systems, decision trees) to efficiently manage trees, forests and wood in regard to pests and diseases. The level of syntheses supported under this theme assumes strong technical transfer activities (e.g. field technical sessions, reports, trial protocols, models and management systems)

Goals:

1. Develop sound decision support systems for pest and disease management.

2. Process current technical knowledge and research into practical tools for forest health management.

3. Increase public awareness of current pests and diseases and biosecurity issues, through providing information through available media.

4. Identification and development of keys for insects and fungi on major plantation species and indigenous forest species.

5. Encourage members to participate in national & international forums to assist in progressing issues relating to Forest Health and Risk Management in New Zealand.

6. Seek research that has been done on forest health topics, outside the Collaborative and investigate opportunities to present and use such research.

Membership

Membership is open to any individual or organisation with an interest in forest health.

Members who contribute to the New Zealand Forest Owners Association levy may join without an additional subscription. All non-contributing members will pay an annual fee of $1200 exclusive of GST for a 1 July - 30 June year.

Each member organisation will have one nominated representative who will be the conduit for information from and to the Collaborative.