Reviewing and collating information on the threatened invertebrate taxa of Canterbury. This has since become a very important reference document for invertebrate ecologists working in Canterbury.

For more information see, Pawson, S.M., Emberson, R.M. 2000. The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury. Conservation Advisory Science Notes 320, 66 pages. This report is available from the Department of Conservation.

Master of Applied Science, project centered on the taxonomy and conservation status of Oregus inaequalis a threatened carabid beetle from the Dunedin region. The project identified two new species in the genus both from the upper South Island. These were recently described and named Oregus crypticus Pawson, 2003 and Oregus septentrionalis Pawson, 2003.

Information from this project was published in the following three articles:

1. Pawson, S.M., Emberson, R.M. 2001. Oregus inaequalis Castelnau, its distribution and abundance at Swampy Summit. DOC Science Internal Series 6. 20 pages.

2.Pawson, S.M., Emberson, R.M., Armstrong, K.F and Paterson, A.M. (2003) Morphological and molecular analysis of the carabid genus Oregus, with identification of two new species.S.M. Pawson; R.M. Emberson; K.F. Armstrong; A.M. Paterson. DOC Science Internal Series 94. 11 pages.

3. Pawson, S.M., Emberson, R.M., Armstrong, K.F and Paterson, A.M. (2003) Phylogenetic revision of the endemic New Zealand carabid genus Oregus Putzeys 1868 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscini). Invertebrate Systematics 17: pages 625-640.

In 2002 I started my PhD and began by producing a report for Fletcher Challenge Forests on the impact of clearfell harvest on biological diversity in the forests.

Pawson, S.M., Brockerhoff, E., Didham, R. (2002) Effects of clearfelling of plantation forests on biological diversity. Unpublished Report, New Zealand Forest Research Institute.