NZ scientist takes woody debris expertise to world stageFriday 7 Jun 2024
Dr Cave’s work first gained international attention after a presentation at the New Zealand Rivers Conference in late 2023. Professor Ian Rutherford from the University of Melbourne was in the audience and said he was particularly struck by the significance of LWD during cyclones Hale and Gabrielle – including the loss and damage to bridges, community impact, and the tragic death of a young boy on Waikanae Beach after Cyclone Hale. “Professor Rutherford felt this story needed to be told to an international audience and I was invited to present two papers at the conference,” says Dr Cave. The first will delve into the impact of LWD on Tairāwhiti, while the second outlines a novel methodology for determining the relative contribution of various woody types to LWD in NZ. Dr Cave says he developed the methodology after Cyclone Cook in 2017, which left a trail of woody debris from the forests to the sea, particularly in Ūawa and Tolaga Bay Beach. In addition to the conference, Dr Cave plans to visit the British Columbia Ministry of Forestry and the Forest Protection Agency and look at a forest land debris flow predictor tool developed by a major British Columbia geotechnical engineering consultancy on his way to Quebec. “There is a lot we can learn from the British Columbia experience. In particular, the parallels between Canada’s First Nations role in forestry and the role of Whenua Maori in Tairāwhiti,” he says. Dr Cave hopes his research can contribute significantly to the global understanding of LWD dynamics and its implications for river ecosystems. The 5th International Wood in World Rivers Conference will take place from 10-14 June 2024. Source: Inside Government  | ||
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