"I found that the sequence of the protein could potentially influence the fertility, and therefore the reproductive pattern, of kakapo," she said.
She also sought to test extracts of native plants known to be a source of food for kakapo to determine if exposure to different compounds at certain times of the year could be linked to its reproductive cycle.
"For example, is there something present, or absent, in the food that the kakapo are eating that is more abundant during a mast year that makes them more fertile"
Dr Davis looked at different native plants to see if they contained compounds that had the ability to act like oestrogen, and whether these levels changed in a mast year.
While more research was needed on the potency of the selected plants, Dr Davis believed that if it could be determined that the plants had the steroid-like compounds present, conservationists could look at introducing more of them to kakapo habitats.
Dr Davis believed her work could feed into the Department of Conservation's long-term kakapo strategy and influence future research.
Forest and Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said a connection had long been established between the kakapo's breeding and feeding, and congratulated Dr Davis for investigating the link further.
"This sort of work refining the understanding is useful because everything we can do to speed up their reproduction is really important."
The last recorded sighting of kakapo on the North Island was more than a century ago, west of Ruapehu in 1905.
While predation had diminished its population to a critical level, the "big issue" facing kakapo conservation today was reproduction.
