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Norman Mason

Senior Researcher
Ecosystems & Conservation
Norman Mason
Location
Hamilton
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Research interests

Research interests

  • Processes that structure ecological communities and control biodiversity
  • The effects of biodiversity on ecosystem function and stability Devising functional diversity indices
  • Experimental design and field sampling-plan design
  • Long-term monitoring program design
  • Programming in C++
  • Construction of null-models testing the effects of multiple factors on community structure
  • Measurement of community structure in ecological communities
  • Measurement of plant functional characters (morphological, physiological and phytochemical)
  • Multivariate statistical analyses including ordination and classification
  • Development of novel statistical methods for diverse ecological questions

Professional affiliations/recognition

Associate editor for Journal of Vegetation Science

Recent publications

Mason NWH, Wiser SK, Richardson SJ, Thorsen MJ, Holdaway RJ, Dray S, Thomson FJ, Carswell FE, 2013. Functional Traits Reveal Processes Driving Natural Afforestation along Wide Climate and Land Cover Gradients at Large Spatial Scales. PLoS ONE In press.

 

Mason NWH, Bellingham PJ, Carswell FE, Peltzer DA, Holdaway RJ, Allen RB, 2013. Wood decay resistance moderates the effects of tree mortality on carbon storage in the indigenous forests of New Zealand. Forest Ecology and Management. 305, 177-188.

 

Pipenbaher N, Kaligarič M, Mason NWH, Škornik S, 2013. Dry calcareous grasslands from two neighboring biogeographic regions: relationship between plant traits and rarity. Biodivers. Conserv., 1-15.

 

Bellingham PJ, Morse CP, Buxton RP, Bonner KI, Mason NWH, Wardle DA 2013. Litter fall and litter nutrient concentrations in a New Zealand temperate montane rain forest, and relationships with altitude, forest succession, and soil nutrients. New Zealand Journal of Ecology In press.

 

Mason NWH, De Bello F, Dray S, Mouillot D, Pavoine S 2013. Functional diversity indices and changes in community assembly processes in plant communities along stress gradients: which indices work best and do null models help? Journal of Vegetation Science In press

 

Mason NWH Pavoine S 2013. Can phylogenetic diversity indices detect changes in assembly processes along stress gradients? Journal of Vegetation Science In Press

 

Pavoine S, Gasc A, Bonsal MB, Mason NWH 2013. Correlations between phylogenetic and functional diversity: mathematical artefacts or true ecological and evolutionary processes? Journal of Vegetation Science In Press

 

de Bello F, Leps J, Carmona CP, Mason NWH, Sebastià M-T 2013. Trait dissimilarity for functional diversity: trait means or trait overlap? Journal of Vegetation Science In Press

 

Dymond JR, Ausseil A-G, Kirschbaum MUF, Carswell FE, Mason NWH 2013. Opportunities for restoring indigenous forest in New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 1-13.

 

Mouillot D, Graham NAJ, Villeger S, Mason, NWH, Bellwood DR 2013. A functional approach reveals community responses to disturbances. Trends in Ecology and Evolution http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.004.

 

Mason NWH, Pipenbaher N, Škornik S. Kaligarič M 2012. Does complementarity in leaf phenology and inclination promote co-existence in a species-rich meadow? Evidence from functional groups. Journal of Vegetation Science 24, 94-100.

 

Mason NWH, Ausseil A-GE, Dymond JR, Overton JM, Price R, Carswell FE 2012. Will use of non-biodiversity objectives to select areas for ecological restoration always compromise biodiversity gains? Biological Conservation. In press.

 

Mason NWH, Richardson SJ, Peltzer DA, Wardle DA, De Bello F, Allen RB 2012. Changes in co-existence mechanisms along a long-term soil chronosequence revealed by functional trait diversity. Journal of Ecology. 100: 678-689.

 

Richardson SJ, Williams PA, Mason NWH, Buxton RP, Courtney SP, Rance BD, Clarkson BR, Hoare RJB, St John MG, Wiser SK 2012. Rare species drive local trait diversity in two geographically disjunct examples of a naturally-rare alpine ecosystem in New Zealand. Journal of Vegetation Science. In press.

 

Cash FBJ, Conn A, Coutts S, Stephen M, Mason NWH, Wilson JB 2012. Assembly rules operate only in equilibrium communities: is it true? Austral Ecology. In press.

 

Schleuter D, Daufresne M, Veslot J, Mason NWH, Lanoiselée C, Brosse S, Beauchard O, Argillier C 2012. Geographic isolation and climate govern functional diversity of native fish communities in European drainage basins. Global Ecology and Biogeography. In press.

 

Carswell FE, Burrows LE, Hall GMJ, Mason NWH, Allen RB 2012. Carbon and plant diversity gain during 200 years of woody succession in lowland New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology. In press.

 

Mason NWH, Carswell FE, Overton JM, Briggs CM, Hall GMJ 2012. Estimation of current and potential carbon stocks and Kyoto-compliant carbon gain on conservation land. Science for Conservation. 317.

 

Mouillot D, Villéger S, Mason NWH 2011. Functional structure of biological communities predicts ecosystem multifunctionality. PLoS ONE 6: e17476.

 

Allen RB, Mason NWH, Richardson SJ and Platt KH 2011. Synchronicity, periodicity, and bimodality in inter-annual tree seed production along an elevation gradient. Oikos. 121: 367-376.

 

Mason NWH, De Bello F, Dolezal J, Leps J 2011. Niche overlap reveals the effects of competition, disturbance and contrasting assembly processes in experimental grassland communities. Journal of Ecology. 99: 788-796.

 

Qualifications

Otago
PhD
2006

Publications

Pavoine S, Gasc A, Bonsall MB, Mason NWH 2013. Correlations between phylogenetic and functional diversity: mathematical artefacts or true ecological and evolutionary processes? Journal of Vegetation Science 24(5): 781–793. ISI:000322628400002 https://doi.org/10.1111/Jvs.12051

Mason NWH, De Bello F, Mouillot D, Pavoine S, Dray S 2013. A guide for using functional diversity indices to reveal changes in assembly processes along ecological gradients. Journal of Vegetation Science 24(5): 794–806. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12013

Mouillot D, Graham NAJ, Villeger S, Mason NWH, Bellwood DR 2013. A functional approach reveals community responses to disturbances. Trends in ecology & evolution 28(3): 167-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.004

Mason NWH, Pipenbaher N, Skornik S, Kaligaric M 2013. Does complementarity in leaf phenology and inclination promote co-existence in a species-rich meadow? Evidence from functional groups. Journal of vegetation science 24(1): 94-100. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2012.01451.x

Mason NWH, Ausseil A-GE, Dymond JR, Overton JM, Price R, Carswell FE 2012. Will use of non-biodiversity objectives to select areas for ecological restoration always compromise biodiversity gains? Biological conservation 155(0): 157-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.05.019

Mason NWH, Carswell FE, Overton JM, Briggs CM, Hall GMJ 2012. Estimation of current and potential carbon stocks and Kyoto-compliant carbon gain on conservation land. Science for conservation. Wellington, Department of Conservation. 39 p

Memberships

  • Associate Editor, Journal of vegetation Science