Samuel's interests include fuel management and fire ecology with 10 years of experience in Invertebrate behavior and ecology. Current research topics within the Fire and Atmospheric Sciences team comprise: Fire danger climatology in New Zealand, fuel characterization, fire behavior and literature reviews for policy making around Fire risk and fuel management. Samuel collaborates with the Entomology team (Scion) in the areas of insect ecology, electrophysiology, and pest control.

Research Interests:

• Fire as a management tool

• Native vegetation flammability

• Native forest post-fire regeneration

• Sensory ecology

• Invertebrate behavior

Examples of Practical Application

• Provided a tool for FENZ fire managers and stakeholders in making more informed fire management decisions on wildfire risk reduction, readiness, and prescribed burning activities based on summarized fire danger climatology’s for fire weather stations across New Zealand.

• Developed reports to aid fire managers in discussions around operational reduction and readiness measures.