Invasive species (i.e. weeds, pests, predators, and diseases) are a key pressure on Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems. These pressures continue to increase because of societal (i.e. human behaviour and values) and global influences (i.e. climate change). This group underpins the management of these pressures through the assessment of biological threats at national, landscape and local scales, the identification and assessment of species’ impacts, and the development and analysis of control tools. We have national and international leadership expertise in vertebrate pest management, weed ecology and biocontrol and the management of diseases of, and vectored by, wildlife.
We contribute to national biosecurity through providing capability and confidence in assessing biological threats and using control tools – especially at landscape scales – for weeds, pests, predators, and diseases.
