DoctorZach Marion

As a Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, my research sits at the intersection of ecology, evolutionary biology, and statistics. I focus on understanding how biological communities are structured across space, particularly how diversity, turnover, and functional traits respond to environmental gradients and land‑use change. My work spans community ecology, microbial ecology, and biosecurity science, with a strong emphasis on developing and applying rigorous statistical approaches to ecological data.  

A key theme of my research is disentangling patterns of beta diversity and ecological turnover, including in fungal and plant‑associated microbial communities, to better understand how ecosystems respond to intensification and environmental stress. I frequently use Bayesian modelling, biostatistics, and diversity partitioning frameworks to link ecological theory with real‑world conservation and management challenges.  

Through this work, I aim to generate insights that support conservation, environmental management, and biodiversity protection in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.