Monitoring of local topographic variation in flowering phenology of mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium)

Abstract

The rise of the mānuka honey industry has led to a change in attitudes toward mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium). Previously considered a nuisance for pastoral hill-country farming, mānuka stands are now more likely to be considered a valuable resource. For better management and utilization of this resource, more information is needed about the causes of variation in the timing and intensity of mānuka flowering, including at the local scale where flowering behaviour can vary significantly over short distances. Therefore, the first aim of this thesis was to improve methods for camera-based monitoring of mānuka flowering phenology, including reducing the need for manual analysis of images. The second aim was to deploy the cameras for a field study of the local-scale drivers of mānuka flowering phenology, within a single hill-country property, along an elevational gradient and between two slope aspects.

This study used cameras based on Raspberry Pi single board computers, developed previously for monitoring of mā