Dr Christopher Lusk
Senior Research Fellow
Qualifications: PhD in Botany, University of Auckland
Contact Details
| Name | Extn. | Username | Room | Department | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lusk, Dr Christopher | 4205 | clusk | D.1.08A | Biological Sciences |
You can contact staff by:
- Calling +64 7 838 4466 then enter the extension
- Extensions starting with 4 or 5 can also be direct dialed:
- For extensions starting with 4: dial +64 7 838 extension
- For extensions starting with 5: dial +64 7 858 extension
- Emailing username@waikato.ac.nz
- Using the campus map to locate their room
Research Interests
I’m a forest ecologist. I’m especially interested in how plant traits shape species responses to disturbances and their role in forest succession, as well as determining where plants grow in relation to environmental factors like temperature, latitude and soil fertility. My current work examines light environments and functional diversity of rainforest tree assemblages along a latitudinal gradient in Australasia, from tropical Queensland to cool temperate sites in New Zealand and Tasmania. In previous appointments in Chile and Australia, my students have worked on a wide range of topics including natural selection on morphology and physiology of Blechnum ferns, vascular constraints on the geographic distribution of lianas, and leaf display and light interception by seedlings of tropical vs. temperate rainforest trees.
I have plenty of ideas that would make great honours or postgrad thesis topics, so I’m looking for enthusiastic students to work on a wide range of questions about the ecology of temperate and tropical rainforests.
Expertise
Forest ecology at whole-plant, community and ecosystem levels; tree and ecosystem function in tropical versus temperate forests; plastic versus species-specific responses of plants to light; influence of ontogeny on plant traits and performance; quantification of forest light environments; modelling of seedling light interception using YPLANT; quantification of seedling growth in the field.
List of recent publications
Recent Publications
- Duursma, R., Falster, D., Valladares, F., Sterck, F., Pearcy, R., Lusk, C., Sendall, K., Nordenstahl, M., Houter, N., Atwell, B., Kelly, N., Kelly, J., Liberloo, M., Tissue, D., Medlyn, B., Ellsworth, D. (2012) Light interception efficiency explained by two simple variables: A test using a diversity of small- to medium-sized woody plants
Refereed Journal Articles - New Phytologist - Parada, T., Lusk, C. (2011) Patterns of tree seedling mortality in a temperate-Mediterranean transition zone forest in Chile
Journal Articles - Gayana: Botanica - Lusk, C., Perez-Millaqueo, M., Piper, F., Saldana, A. (2011) Ontogeny, understorey light interception and simulated carbon gain of juvenile rainforest evergreens differing in shade tolerance
Refereed Journal Articles - Annals of Botany - Lusk, C. (2011) Conifer-angiosperm interactions: Physiological ecology and life history.
Book Chapters - Ecology of tropical podocarps
