The NZ Ecol Soc conference was hosted successfully by the Lincoln University Department of Ecology this week. More than 250 candidates enjoyed four days of talks and fieldtrips. The number of student presentations was noticable this year, 43 student talks and 11 posters, as was their quality. The awards went to students from around the country:
Best student poster – Sharada Paudel (Victoria University of Wellington) “Are there distinct phenological seasons in New Zealand plant communities”
Best student talk – Belinda Whyte (Lincoln University) “Changes in possum spatial ecology following density reduction: implications for conservation and bovine turberculosis management”


Black robin – painted by Julie Paterson

Runner-up best student talk – Christine Sheppard(University of Auckland) “Predicting weeds in a changing climate: are bioclimatic models validated by field trials?”
Best student talk on an animal theme – Sarah Wells (Massey University) “Love thy neighbour: mating systems and cuckoldry in the tui”
Best student talk on a plant theme – Olivia Burge (University of Canterbury) “Restoring a RAMSAR wetland – by reforesting it?”
Best student talk on a microbe theme – Paulina Giraldo-Perez (University of Auckland ) “The impact of the selfish gene on the ecology of yeast”
Best student talk on a conservation theme – Emily Weiser (University of Otago) “Population viability of highly inbred black robins“
Well done to all of the speakers – a great standard of talks.