Cate Macinnis-Ng
LightNews LightNews
banner
loraxcate.bsky.social
Cate Macinnis-Ng
@loraxcate.bsky.social
6.8K followers 1.4K following 400 posts
Tree ecophysiologist, parent, ocean swimmer and brownie baker. I'm interested in forests, water, carbon, climate change. Pākehā (she/her), Auckland Uni Prof
Posts Replies Media Videos
loraxcate.bsky.social
The rātā Moehau outside the Old Biology Building at Waipapa Taumata Rau (UoA) does not flower every year but it looks like 2025 will be another reproductive year #bloomscrolling
Yellowish green flower buds surrounded by leaves
October 15, 2025 at 7:12 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Auckland Botanic Gardens has some wonderful plantings for garden inspiration, including a collection of different varieties of mānuka. This is my favourite but I forgot the variety name. #bloomscrolling
Photo of small hot pink flowers with a dark centre surrounded by green foliage.
October 2, 2025 at 11:38 PM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Delighted to see this paper on Tshego's Masters research published in Journal of Vegetation Science @jvegsci.bsky.social. N. juliflora invasion is associated with lower native plant biodiversity and higher values for some soil chemical properties in Botswana.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Screenshot showing details for a paper entitled "The woody invasive plant Neltuma juliflora influences plant species richness and soil chemistry in Botwsana" There is a photo of a wide tree and close-up images of leaves and fruits of N. juliflora.
September 18, 2025 at 10:13 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Key findings were that measures of flammibility were associated with some water-related ecophysiological measures (minimum water potential and turgor loss point) but not other measures (e.g. wood density and P50). Drought-tollerant species are not necessarily less flammable.
Six plots showing shoot flammibility score is associated with minimun water potetnial and turgor loss point but not root zone water deficit, days to death, P50 and wood density.
August 29, 2025 at 6:35 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Great to see this work by former PhD students Julia and Ben published. 🌳
We found growth efficiency declined as kauri trees aged while concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates increased, indicating a more conservative carbon use strategy in older trees. 🧪
www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/16...
Photograph of a kauri tree canopy. The middle of the image is dominated by the distinctive textured trunk and there is are two researchers hidden behind a large branch taking canopy measurements.
August 3, 2025 at 8:56 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Attention all plant trait researchers! 🌱 The call for proposals for a Special Issue of Annals of Botany on Seedling Traits and Climate Change is now open. We're seeking contributions that explore seeding performance in a changing climate - academic.oup.com/aob/pages/sp...
A seedling with a backdrop of leaf litter
July 3, 2025 at 7:04 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Mānawatia a Matariki!
Photograph of St Heliers Beach at dusk with Rangitoto in the distance to the right and an orange glow in the sky on the left. The tide is low and the cloudy sky is reflected in the glassy water of the Waitemata Harbour.
June 19, 2025 at 7:05 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Baby plants! Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo. 🎶 Baby plants, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo. 🎶 Baby plants! 🌱
Tiny bright green plant emerging from the soil. Tiny green plant emerging from leaf litter. Tiny green plant growing amongst moss. Tiny green plant against a backdrop of leaf litter.
June 2, 2025 at 10:28 PM
loraxcate.bsky.social
The sandstone foreshores of Manly's harbour and ocean never lose their charm, especially when the sun comes out on a Sydney Autumn morning.
A rocky shoreline with bluey-grey sea and Shelly Beach in the background. The sky is cloudy with streaks of blue. The late morning sun is highlighting the rock pools and crevices amongst the sandstone. Calmer harbour seas in bluey-grey with a sandstone rock platform in the foreground. To the right is a Banksia integrifolia (coast banksia) with yellow and orange blooms. The sky is mostly cloudy.
May 20, 2025 at 1:53 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Late autumn afternoon sunshine Glendowie, Tāmaki Makaurau.
A rocky beach with a pohutukawa tree overhanging it and a blue sky with clouds in the background.
May 10, 2025 at 9:17 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Happy arbor day to those who celebrate! Here are some redwoods near the Avenue of the Giants.
Photograph of a regenerating redwood forest looking towards the canopy.
April 25, 2025 at 10:05 PM
loraxcate.bsky.social
After the storm(s). Kohimarama Beach, Tāmaki Makaurau, Easter Monday
A beach in the autumn afternoon sun with a wooden sailing club to the right and Rangitoto in the background. The sea is calm and the sky is cloudy with patches of blue.
April 21, 2025 at 5:59 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
🌱Delighted to see the 12th International Workshop on Sapflow conference proceedings are now available www.actahort.org/books/1419/ 🧪🌎🌳
Cover of proceedings for the 12th International Conference on Sapflow showing a tree trunk in the centre of the image leading upwards to green leaves and a blue sky behind.
March 27, 2025 at 6:59 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
And the lunar eclipse over St Heliers village
Night time in St Heliers with streetlights and cars. One side of the street is lined with restaurants and the other is lined with trees. The black sky above is lit by the moon in eclipse in the top right of the photo.
March 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Magical sunset in Tamaki Makaurau
A photograph of Waitemata Harbour looking towards the city with vegetation in the foreground, then grey harbour waters and city lights with a pink sky fading to steel blue above. Clouds create further mood.
March 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
It was down tools and up with the chalk at UoA today as we went on strike for living wage, removal of unfair "performance" based pay for professional staff and salary increases closer to rates of inflation.
Photograph of the footpath outside the new Uni of Auckland gym showing messages of "fair pay now!" and "living wage" written in brightly coloured chalk. In the background, the crowd is marching towards the clock tower for further rallying.
March 6, 2025 at 2:39 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Sunrise at The Pinnacles this morning.
Photograph of a darkened landscape with a peach-coloured sky below tufty clouds. Photograph of a green mountainous landscape with a pink sky blending to sky blue above. Photograph of a cloudy sky above a green landscape with a freshly risen sun creating an orange glow to the left of the sky.
February 23, 2025 at 8:49 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Anyone else have an issue when trying to submit on the Treaty Principles Bill? I'm not sure if I should try submitting again. #nzpol
Screenshot saying "Online submission failed. There has been a technical problem with your submission. Our apologies for this. We are looking into what has happened and will be in touch."
January 6, 2025 at 6:22 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Glassy waters of Liverpool's Salthouse Dock this evening. #BES2024
Buildings and festive lights reflected by still water in a dock area. The sky and the water are otherwise dark.
December 13, 2024 at 12:39 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Join us in 11B at 1.45 pm for a workshop on Research with Impact #BES2024. Building on our recent editorial in @jappliedecology.bsky.social on Ecology with Impact, we'll be providing examples of communicating findings to increase impact besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of details about workshop
December 12, 2024 at 11:09 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Nathalie Seddon encourages ecologists to establish radical collaborations with Indigenous communities to transform nature based solutions for effective solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. #BES2024
December 11, 2024 at 9:42 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Te Tohu Taiao Award winner Susan Wiser talking about ecological infrastructure in Aotearoa New Zealand. #NZES2024
Female ecologist is on stage presenting a plenary talk.
November 26, 2024 at 4:01 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Oh, the photo got warped - let's try again.
A kauri tree against a blue sky.
November 11, 2024 at 8:18 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
Welcome new followers! So great to be reconnecting with many from the other place. Looking forward to sharing more trees, and rants, but mostly trees, hopefully. #WomenInSTEM
A photo of a kauri tree looking upwards the canopy against a blue sky. The grey textured trunk dominates the photo and canopy branches are sparsely leaved.
November 11, 2024 at 8:15 AM
loraxcate.bsky.social
I've got my slides sorted! Looking forward to my inaugural lecture tomorrow night.
Screenshot of the title slide from my inaugural lecture. Title is: Surviving in a changing climate: life as a woman plant ecophysiologist. Lower half of the slide shows a forest scene with a path disappearing into the trees.
October 21, 2024 at 1:16 AM