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Mapping ecological resource use and supply-consumption difference in China from 2000 to 2020
No full textNet primary production (NPP) is a vital ecological resource essential for ecosystem services and economic development. Human appropriation of NPP (HANPP) measures the aggregate impact of human activities on the biomass produced annually in ecosystems. However, the coarse mapping of HANPP hinders the identification of the spatial dynamics in ecological resources use and the high-pressure areas. Using machine learning, our study annually mapped China's HANPP at 1 km resolution due to grain, wood and animal production as well as land use changes from 2000 to 2020. High-pressure ecological resource zones expanded, primarily due to livestock farming. The pressure of ecological resources varied along the longitudinal axis. Ecological resource use is generally low in poverty areas. The spatial patterns of the supply-consumption difference of the ecological resources were also mapped, reflecting the spatial flows of ecological resources from poverty areas to non-poverty areas. This promotes the sustainable development in both areas
The hidden depths of forest soil organic carbon chemistry in a pumice soil
Get PDFForest ecosystems can store massive amounts of organic carbon (OC) deep in their soils. Soil OC (SOC) is composed of several complex organic compounds of which groupings of these organic compounds can provide an insight into evaluating the formation and fate of SOC. However, there is little information available regarding the chemical composition of deep forest SOC and how they compare to upper soil depths. The objective of this study was to explore the SOC chemistry changes with increasing soil depth on a fine spatial scale in a planted forest soil derived from young volcanic erupted airfall deposits. Soil core samples to 1 m depth were collected from Puruki Experimental Forest (New Zealand) and examined for incremental depth changes in SOC functional groups, or chemical shift regions, using solid-state ¹³C cross polarisation magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C CPMAS-NMR) spectroscopy. The results showed that soil depth was a driver of change in soil chemical shift regions. The presence of a coarse-textured soil horizon, lapilli layer, at depth was a driver of significant (p 50 cm) compared to above the lapilli layer. In the deep soil layers the alkyl C was the dominant functional group (55%), followed by O-alkyl C (28%). Furthermore, there was a decrease at depth in aromatic (12%) and carboxyl C (5%). The A/O-A ratio increased with depth from soil above the lapilli layer compared to soils below the lapilli layer indicating a greater degree of organic matter decomposition and a corresponding decrease in the labile OC fractions. Within the lapilli layer the SOC functional groups and A/O-A ratio were highly variable. These results highlight that changes in SOC chemical composition occur with increasing soil depth, a property of deep soil that is frequently understudied, and are highly influenced by the multi layered nature of soil derived from volcanic airfall deposit
Drivers of grape berry sugar accumulation in field conditions at local scale
No full textThe final sugar concentration in grapes is an important parameter for winegrowers as it determines the alcohol content by volume of the final wine, allowing to optimize the timing of harvest. In this research, a comprehensive dataset spanning seven years and 18 sites located in Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and satellite appellations (Bordeaux, France) was used to assess how growth and developmental factors (berry weight and mid-veraison date, respectively) and environmental factors (vine water status, nitrogen status, and mean air temperature) influence the dynamics of sugar accumulation.
The results of this study highlighted the strong influence of mean temperature on the timing of maximum sugar accumulation, the duration of sugar accumulation and maximum sugar concentration in grape berries. Berry weight and the rate of sugar accumulation also appeared to be significant drivers of final sugar concentration.Fast ripening and increased berry weight were associated with lower sugar concentrations. Sites were clustered according to parameters driving sugar accumulation dynamics and mapped at the scale of the study area, in order to link these findings to terroir expression. In this study, vine nitrogen status did not emerge as a significant explanatory variable in any of the models developed to analyse sugar accumulation dynamics and berry weight, and a small but significant effect of vine water status on the precocity of the plateau and on berry weight was found.
These results provide a better understanding of the factors that affect the dynamics of sugar accumulation in grape berries, which can help vine growers to adapt to climate change. For example, by promoting practices to delay the onset of ripening to shift to a cooler period of ripening through the choice of plant material or management practices. Alternatively, this can be done through an increase in berry weight, which lowers grape sugar and therefore wine alcohol concentration, taking care not to alter the skin-pulp ratio excessively to avoid reducing secondary metabolites
Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) plant productivity and protection with microbial stimulants : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textWhile there is an increasing consumption of organic tea as a healthy beverage, tea growers are struggling to produce tea without agrochemicals. To help find solutions for this challenge, a study was conducted on bioprospecting microbes to potentially create bioprotectant products against tea pathogens in Sri Lanka and biopromotion products in organic tea cultivation in New Zealand. Blister blight, caused by Exobasidium vexans, is a major tea disease in Sri Lanka. Investigation of this obligate parasite has been limited due to a lack of successful artificial culture media. Potato Dextrose Agar medium was modified with five different tea extracts to investigate the best growth media which can facilitate dual-culture assays among indigenous endophytes and tea pathogens. Brown blight caused by Colletotrichum camelliae was also tested in this study. Potato dextrose agar ammended with either 25% fresh or dried tea leaf infusion incorporated, tea extact agar (TEA) media were successful for in-vitro cultivation of tea pathogens. During the research, Nigespora sp. was arbitrarily identified as a leaf blight pathogen on tea in Sri Lanka for the first time.
Twenty indigenous fungi and seven bacterial endophytes were identified from the tea phyllosphere in Sri Lanka. More than 50% of them exhibited biocontrol potential against the economically important tea pathogens in-vitro while Trichoderma harzianum provided the best inhibition. Seven indigenous fungal and four bacterial genera were identified from soil and leaf samples from a tea plantation in New Zealand and used for biopromotion bioassays on young tea plants grown under glasshouse conditions. Indigenous Hypocrea lixii provided the most significant biostimulation, than its exogenous anamorph; T. harzianum, which was tested representing the new taxonomic concept of H. lixii and T. harzianum as two individual species (previously classified as teleomorph and anamorph of the same species). This study isolated H. lixii for the first time in New Zealand under this new taxonomy. T. harzianum was the only fungal species that was able to colonise tea roots in glasshouse experiments, but all tested indigenous and exogenous microbes showed a higher biostimulant efficacy on tea than the controls.
Commercially produced, water-soluble Trichoderma atroviride powder with a 2 x 105 cfu mL-1 concentration was in-vivo tested on mature tea plants in Hamilton. A single foliar application of T. atroviride increased tea yield by up to 28% six months post-application. The first-ever microbiome study conducted for tea soil in New Zealand suggested a relationship between yield and Ascomycota presence, indicating that introduced T. atroviride stimulated the growth of the tea plant synergistically favouring its own phylum. Tea soil in New Zealand is reported to be rich with yeasts and less decaying material compared to traditional tea grown under shade trees with high organic matter content, suggesting the soil has higher simple sugars than lignocellulosic compounds which could facilitate the Trichoderma establishment and persistence, thereby artificially introduced T. atroviride might have been overshadowed by the complex resident soil microorganisms. Therefore, the study suggests field application of a multi-strain consortium of the best potential indigenous biostimulants found in the glasshouse experiments (H. lixii, Epicoccum sp., Bacillus sp., Clonostachys candelabrum, Penicillium limosum, and Penicillium arizonense) to form a more stable soil memory and effectively manipulate the resident soil microbiome in-situ, improving the desired biostimulat functions between the biostimulants, soil and plants, which is particularly more important for perennial crops like tea
Predator-Free New Zealand 2050: Techniques for improving ground based control and monitoring of the brushtail possum
No full textThe brushtail possum, a marsupial native to Australia, was widely introduced in New Zealand (NZ) to develop a fur industry. Before the settlement of humans in NZ, there were no terrestrial mammals; therefore, the local species evolved without mammalian predators. This resulted in native species populations declining at alarming rates and many possibly facing extinction on the NZ mainland, especially large-bodied endemic birds. In response to this problem, private investors (supported by the NZ government) developed an initiative to eradicate key mammal predators (possums, rats, and stoats) on the NZ mainland by 2050 (PFNZ2050). As a result, control efforts have significantly expanded over the past decade, and there are now 17 PFNZ2050 landscape projects covering 757,000 ha. Research has looked at combining audio, visual and social lures to improve control efforts for possums. Early results indicate that a combination of lures increases both encounter and interaction rates around control devices. In particular, the combination of audio and visual lures was consistently the top performer in both captive and small-scale field trials. Large-scale field trials are currently underway to confirm these initial results, investigating the effectiveness of combination lures paired with multi-kill AT220 possum traps. Additionally, the lures are being assessed at different times of the year and with varying possum densities. With the drive to PFNZ2050, pest mammal monitoring has markedly competing management control strategies. Traditionally, this has relied on single-use plastic monitoring devices such as chewcards and tracking tunnels. An investigation of pest-animal interaction with chewcards indicates that approximately 12% of plastic deployed ends up as microplastic pollution. Another NZ government initiative seeks to ban all single-use plastics, and research is currently investigating the efficacy of non-plastic (biodegradable) alternatives. This research also includes a cost-effectiveness analysis and the reliability of identifying animal bite marks on both plastic and non-plastic chewcards
Invasive weed disrupts facilitation of nutrient uptake in grass-clover assemblage
No full text• Nutrient constraints in low-fertility soil were modified by different species combinations.
• Grass-clover assemblages benefited both species in terms of nutrient procurement.
• Interplay of competition and facilitation is demonstrated.
• An invasive weed removed essential nutrients from the grazing cycle. To investigate the interplay of competition and facilitation between plants in low-fertility pasture grasslands of New Zealand, we compared nutrient uptake and acquisition of key nutrients of three species from different functional groups. Combinations of Pilosella officinarum (mouse-eared hawk-weed, an invasive weed), Trifolium repens (white clover, a nitrogen fixer) and Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot, a pasture grass) were planted into a soil with low-to-deficient concentrations of key nutrients. Highest yields were achieved by the grass growing alone but, when the clover and grass had grown together, there were complementary benefits in terms of procurement of a wide range of nutrients from soil despite lower root biomass. The invasive weed negated these benefits, and soil nutrients were exploited less efficiently when Pilosella had grown alone or in a mixture with the other species. Competition from the weed removed the benefits of grass-legume coexistence. These findings are interpreted to suggest that requirements for legumes to be the main source of nitrogen in pasture grasslands may be compromised unless competitive weeds are controlled to avoid disrupted procurement of key nutrients. It is likely these constraints to nutrient procurement would similarly impact conservation grasslands
How can landscape architecture create living environments that promote access to public transport, housing, and green spaces : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University
No full textThis study seeks to understand how to address thematic social justice issues through spatial design using landscape architecture. More specifically, whether, how and to what extent different city municipalities address resident accessibility issues relating to Social (or Affordable housing), Green Space and Public Transport through design? To understand how these thematic issues are addressed through design, city design guidelines will be critically analysed specific to these themes. The city design guidelines of Wellington, Christchurch and Amsterdam will be used for this study. Findings will inform models of proposed land use types and extent in Tauranga City to create equitable outcomes for all its residents
Characterising the diversity of oomycetes in a multi-use landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textTe Kaha, rohe of Te Whānau-ā-Apanu, is a multi-use landscape that in recent years has invested in kiwifruit orchard expansion. This transition to a more horticulturally intensive crop will create a greater need for irrigation, and current schemes propose diverting water from the nearby Kereu River. Landowners and kaitiakitanga are cognisant that untreated irrigation water from natural bodies can lead to the dissemination of water-borne plant pathogen propagules, and thus, this research sought to characterise the diversity of oomycetes present in both aquatic and terrestrial sites in the Te Kaha catchment, with a focus on Phytophthora. In January 2023, water samples were collected and filtered at nine positions along a 9.3 km stretch of the Kereu River. Soil samples were also collected from nine sites that featured varying land usage — kiwifruit, maize, and ngahere | native forest. Oomycete specific ITS1 amplicons were generated from water and soil eDNA and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Kereu River sites were also baited in situ using a selection of native, exotic, and agriculturally relevant plant leaves. Exotic plant baits were more successful in yielding cultures with morphologies congruent with Phytophthora, whereas native plant baits had a higher incidence of producing isolates with sporangial exit tubes, a feature associated with Pythium. The exact identities of these Phytophthora isolates are being confirmed with Sanger sequencing. Similarity in Oomycota communities between river and soil samples was compared using ANOSIM analysis. Oomycete communities from water were almost entirely distinct from those present in soil (stress = 0.065, R = 0.99, p=0.001). The differences in Oomycota diversity in soils between land usage was also compared, which found significant differences with some overlap in taxa present (stress = 0.074, R = 0.42, p = 0.03). Of the 804 ASV produced, approximately 2% belonged to the Phytophthora genus. Only a third of terrestrial sites had Phytophthora present, whereas Phytophthora were detected in all locations along the Kereu River. Phytophthora spp. belonging to clades 2b and 12 were unique to soils, whereas species belonging to clades 6, 7, and 8 were exclusive to the Kereu River. Only one ASV, belonging to the Clade 2c ‘P. citricola complex’, was found in both terrestrial and aquatic landscapes. While there is currently no evidence of Phytophthora ‘spill-over’ between terrestrial and aquatic systems in Te Kaha, our results suggest that continued monitoring of this catchment could prove beneficial as these neighbouring landscapes increasingly interact in the future
Effects of extrinsic characteristics, mental simulation and repetitive exposure on the hedonic, emotional and physiological responses of consumers: A study of food choices and purchasing behaviours : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textIn the globalization era, a multitude of new products enter the market annually. Due to the similarity in sensory properties and prices, innovators need more than traditional sensory methods to ensure product success in the market. Researchers, therefore, must understand the holistic product experience and its influence on consumer preferences. Food choices are a multi-dimensional variable influenced by physiological and psychological factors such as memory, mental simulation, sociocultural aspects, and extrinsic/intrinsic product characteristics. Consequently, food choices and purchase decisions are shaped by the multisensory information derived from products in supermarkets. The intrinsic attributes such as taste, texture, and mouthfeel perception also play a pivotal role in shaping product liking. Moreover, consumer behaviours and familiarity with novel products further influence product liking and acceptance. Therefore, this thesis’s primary aim is to comprehensively evaluate the factors influencing consumer food choices and approach-based behaviours, covering the entire spectrum from the initial encounter with a product to consumption. Additionally, the thesis aims to explore how systematic familiarization with novel products, achieved through increased awareness and repeated tasting, enhances consumer intention to try such products, thereby impacting food preferences.
The impact of extrinsic attributes such as product positioning, packaging material, country of origin (COO) logo, nutritional information, and price tags on consumers’ visual attention, emotional responses, and subsequent behaviours within the supermarket setting were investigated. The study was conducted in three stages: an orientation phase for an initial overview of products, an evaluation stage where consumers individually assessed products to decipher extrinsic factors, and a final validation stage where consumers responded to attitudinal questions regarding the importance of packaging attributes. Sensory, emotional, and biometric (eye tracking and facial expressions) measurements were used to capture the consumer perception journey. The heat map results show that consumers focus their attention on products positioned at the top and centre of the supermarket shelves during the orientation stage. Glass and plastic bottles received the highest fixation count compared to other packaging types. While scanning the supermarket shelf, as indicated by Time to First Fixation (TTFF in ms), participants initially glanced at the tetra pack (3.53 ms) before shifting their attention to glass (5.23 ms). Implicit emotions provided a deeper understanding of consumers’ preferences. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed an association between TTFF, engagement, and implicit negative emotions (fear, disgust, anger, and sadness) with tetra pack, tetra pack L (L stands for packaging with country-of-origin label), and pouch L. Conversely, the positive implicit emotion “joy” was associated with glass L. During the individual packaging evaluation stage, nutritional information received the highest fixation count compared to the NZ-made logo, but the NZ-made logo drove purchase intention. The study revealed that the packaging that attracted the maximum attention was not necessarily the one with the highest liking score. The consumers did not allocated significant visual attention to the price attribute despite reporting them as important factors.
The study further explores how packaging attributes, such as packaging material and font colour, shape expectations and influence consumers’ approach-based behaviours, including acceptability and purchase intention. The participants evaluated tetra packs, pouches, glass, and plastic bottles using orange and white font colours in blind (tasting juice without information), expectation (evaluating packaging, no tasting), and informed (tasting juice with packaging) sessions. This analysis extends to the subsequent confirmation of these expectations after the product is tasted. The study’s results proved that packaging significantly raises expectations regarding the sensory properties of the juice. The participants perceived juice packaged in glass bottles to be fresher than plastic bottles, pouches, and tetra packs, regardless of packaging font colour. Participants had higher expectations of freshness and overall liking, which were not fulfilled during the informed session, leading to an assimilation effect. Participants penalized juice from the glass-orange bottles and tetra pack-white with declines in the liking scores, citing insufficient sourness. No penalty in liking scores was observed for the tetra pack in the informed session. Negative emotions such as "worried", "bored", and "sad" had negatively impacted approach-based behaviour in the expectation session, while positive emotions such as "happy", "enthusiastic", and "joyful" in the informed sessions positively influenced purchase intention. Therefore, marketers and product designers should prioritize understanding the overall product experience and create packaging that captures visual attention, satisfies consumers’ expectations, and evokes emotional responses, ultimately influencing consumer approach-based behaviours.
The research also delves into the influence of initial awareness and repeated exposure on consumer attitudes and behaviour toward novel products, using SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) ice cream as an illustrative example. The study was conducted in three steps: a survey and two tasting sessions. The survey aimed to introduce the health benefits of SCOBY and kombucha while examining consumer attitudes and acceptance towards the novel product (SCOBY ice cream). It utilized the primary constructs (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control) of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and additional constructs (emotions and food neophobia) to gain comprehensive insights into consumer behaviours. In the survey, participants who confirmed their participation in the tasting sessions were invited for blind tasting (without information) and informed tasting (with information). The study also explored the impact of the SCOBY addition in the ice cream on the texture and mouthfeel perception by measuring the particle size, tribology, and temporal dominance of sensation.
In the case of a novel product such as SCOBY ice cream, initial exposure, or awareness significantly impacts consumer's attitudes and intentions to try the product. The study proved that the primary constructs of TPB significantly predicted the intention to consume SCOBY ice cream. Additionally, incorporating emotions into the constructs increased the model’s explanatory power. Attitudes, subjective norms, and emotions were the main predictors of intention, while intention and perceived behavioural control were the main predictors of behaviour. Participants’ beliefs about the safety and taste of SCOBY ice cream were significantly correlated with their intention to try the product, as were the opinions of nutritionists/dietitians, friends, and family. Overall, the model explained 21.7% of the variance in behaviour and 57.4% of the variance in intention, offering valuable insights for shaping marketing strategies for waste-to-value-added products such as SCOBY ice cream.
Moreover, repeated tasting of the SCOBY ice cream after the survey significantly impacts the attitude and intention to try the novel product. Compared to the survey, there was a significant improvement in participants’ attitudes toward consuming SCOBY ice cream in tasting sessions 1 and 2. Similarly, the intention to consume SCOBY ice cream significantly increased in tasting session 2 compared to the survey and tasting session 1. Moreover, there was a significant increase in liking scores for flavour, sweetness, texture, and overall liking in tasting session 2 compared to 1. Sensory attributes such as flavour and texture, along with positive emotions such as “happy”, “pleasant”, and “interested” significantly influenced purchase intention. The study’s results suggest that repeated exposure to novel products enhances consumer acceptance and emotional responses, diverging from traditional sensory study approaches. This highlights the potential success of strategies involving repeated tasting exposure. By prioritizing the improvement of familiarity with sensory attributes such as flavour and texture, companies can positively influence purchase intention and the successful integration of innovative products into the market. Additionally, the impact of ice cream texture and mouthfeel perception on consumer preferences were further explored by measuring particle size, texture, tribological properties and temporal dominance of sensation of three samples: SCOBY ice cream and two reference samples (control and guar gum ice cream). SCOBY ice cream contains probiotics content (5.48 cfu/ml), low pH (5.50), and high titratable acidity (3.11%) than reference samples. The addition of SCOBY increased hardness (22.05 N). The frictional factor (µ) at 37˚ C was positively associated with the melting rate, grainy and thin/fluid perception while negatively correlated to firmness, smooth perception and mouthfeel liking. Additionally, the mouthfeel liking was positively related to firmness, mouth/residual coating and smooth perception while negatively associated with grainy and thin/fluid perception. The findings improve our understanding of the textural dynamics of ice cream formulations incorporating SCOBY and its impact on consumer preferences and overall liking, highlighting the importance of product characteristics in novel products.
To conclude, the study underscores the significance of extrinsic attributes in shaping consumer attention and forming product expectations, influencing approach-based behaviours. Transparent packaging, such as glass and plastic bottles, elicited more positive expectations and emotions than opaque packaging, affecting consumer liking and purchase decisions. Additionally, nutritional information and country-of-origin logos played crucial roles in influencing visual attention and purchasing behaviours, showcasing the importance of provenance. Implicit and explicit emotions interacted with packaging and elicited distinct responses that affected consumers’ purchase intentions, providing a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour. Additionally, repeated tasting positively influenced attitudes and intentions to try novel products, underscoring the importance of consumer education in product acceptance. Sensory attributes such as texture and flavour significantly influenced product liking, highlighting the strategic importance of understanding consumer psychology and fostering positive sensory experiences for the success of innovative food products