Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research's video: LINKOnline Webinar - Predicting Refuges from Myrtle Rust

Presented by James McCarthy Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research The fungus which causes myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) arrived in New Zealand on wind currents in 2017. To date, it has been recorded infecting a range of Aotearoa’s native Myrtaceae species including ramarama, rohutu and pōhutukawa. Work using spatial data comparing the projected range of the disease, and predictions of the habitat range of Aotearoa’s potential native host species, has identified areas where host plants may be able to seek refuge (refugia) from the pathogen. Availability of refugia differs widely by species, as each has different environmental requirements, and different amounts of their habitat remaining intact. In this webinar we will highlight how the identification of refugia can inform landscape-level management responses to invasive pathogens. We will also briefly present the two major programmes undertaking research into myrtle rust in New Zealand – Beyond Myrtle Rust, hosted by Manaaki Whenua, and Ngā Rākau Taketake, hosted by the BioHeritage National Science challenge.