Dr David Norton

Associate professor

Selected publications

Summary curriculum vitae

Graduate students

David Norton is a botanist and ecologist with experience in New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Following a postdoctorate at the University of East Anglia (1983-1984) he has worked at the University of Canterbury New Zealand School of Forestry where he leads the Rural Ecology Research Group.

He has worked in a number of different fields over the years including dendrochronology, forest ecology and plant taxonomy, and his current research focus is on biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management in agricultural and plantation forest systems, including restoration ecology. Current research projects are concerned with developing systems to ensure the long-term sustainable management of the high country tussock grasslands and woodlands of New Zealand’s South Island. This research is part of the ARGOS project. Current research projects include (excluding graduate student projects):

• Development of a template for preparing whole property management plans as a tool for biodiversity conservation on high country pastoral farms.
• Evaluation of the use of biodiversity offsets as a means of advancing biodiversity conservation in production systems.
• Developing monitoring approaches for environmental auditing of pastoral farming.
• Habitat use by merino sheep in tussock grassland ecosystems.
• Changing abundances of rabbits and hares in high country environments.
• Sustainable land management in mountain ecosystems of northern Pakistan.
• Assessing the relative impacts of merino sheep versus rabbits and hares on indigenous biodiversity

David has published over 100 articles in refereed journals and books, as well numerous unrefereed publications (popular articles, reports, etc). Because the focus of his research is on the primary production industry, many of the outputs from his research have involved non-traditional academic formats including farmer-meetings and articles in farming magazines.

David teaches into a range of undergraduate and graduate courses including conservation and ecology. At the final year undergraduate level he teaches one course on sustaining biodiversity in rural landscapes (BIOL379/FORE444) and a second on forest certification (FORE445), while at the graduate level he teaches a course in restoration ecology (FORE616).

David has also worked closely with a range of primary production sector groups in developing sustainable land management and restoration plans and environmental certification systems, and has appeared as an expert witness in the New Zealand Environment Court on a number of occasions.