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Towards an understanding of perceived risk of climate change and adaptive responses in the New Zealand wine industry
No full textPurpose/Aim. New Zealand’s wine industry is of great social- and economic importance to the country, worth over $1.7 billion per year (New Zealand Winegrowers, 2018). At the same time, it is an industry that is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Most research in New Zealand has focused on probabilistic and biophysical modelling of climate change under different scenarios of future change (Cradock-Henry et al., 2019b), and there has been limited research to understand how the wine industry receives, interprets, and acts on climate-related information, frames adaptation decisions or coordinates action. Little is understood about the potential for alteration in management practices to adequately cope with future changes, including the development and adoption of new varietals, changing location for vineyards, or upgrading infrastructure to cope with compressed harvests. Understanding growers’ and winemakers’ experience and perceptions of climate variability and change, and evaluating these against the risks from non-climatic, natural hazard or economic stressors, is urgently needed to support adaptation planning and secure the industry’s future. Climate change will not happen in isolation, rather, growers and wine makers must respond to multiple, interacting and compounding stressors, requiring innovative and practical solutions designed to reduce risk and enhance resilience. This research aims to establish a baseline, to determine the extent wine industry stakeholders in New Zealand perceive risks and opportunities of climate change, and their experience with these changes, and prospects for the future. We are interested also to explore whether differences exist by region, and by wine industry role (e.g. winemaker versus viticulturalist), or by length of involvement in the industry. Results provide the basis for longitudinal evaluation and further research on adaptation in the industry
Tracing lateral subsurface flow in layered soils by undisturbed monolith sampling, targeted laboratory experiments, and model-based analysis
No full textLateral subsurface flow (LSF) is a phenomenon frequently occurring in the field induced by local water saturation along horizon boundaries under nonequilibrium conditions. However, observations of LSF in undisturbed soils under controlled irrigation in the laboratory are limited but needed for model improvement, prediction, and quantification of LSF. We present a method for extracting an undisturbed soil monolith along a soil horizon boundary and introduce an experimental setup for the measurement of LSF and an irrigation device for simulating rainfall. An experimental test run was simulated using HYDRUS 2D. Water infiltrating into the monolith and flowing either laterally along the horizon boundary or vertically through the bottom horizon could be separately captured by suction discs at the side and the bottom. Thus, a clear distinction between lateral and vertical flow was possible. Pressure heads and water contents were recorded by tensiometers and frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors distributed across the monolith in a regular two-dimensional, vertical, cross-sectional pattern. Sensor readings indicated the presence of nonequilibrium conditions within the monolith. Modeling results could reproduce the lateral and vertical outflow of the monolith under constant irrigation, thus showing that water flow within the monolith under steady-state conditions can be explained by the Richards equation and the van Genuchten–Mualem model. The presented method can be used to improve and verify models designed for the prediction of the onset of LSF including that induced by local nonequilibrium conditions
Attenuation of antibiotic resistance genes in livestock manure through vermicomposting via Protaetia brevitarsis and its fate in a soil-vegetable system
No full textScarab larvae (Protaetia brevitarsis) could transform large quantities of agricultural waste into compost, providing a promising bio-fertilizer for soil management. There is an urgent need to assess the risk of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil-vegetable system with application of compost derived from P. brevitarsis larvae. We conducted a pot experiment to compare the changes of ARGs in the soil and lettuce by adding four types of manure, livestock manure (chicken and swine manure) and the corresponding larval frass. Significantly low numbers of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were detected in both larval frass compared with the corresponding livestock manure. Pot experiment showed that the detected numbers of ARGs and MGEs in bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and root endophytes were significantly lower in the frass-amended treatments than the raw manure-amended treatments. Furthermore, the relative abundance of ARGs and MGEs with application of chicken-frass was significant lower in rhizosphere soil and leaf endophyte. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, the patterns of soil ARGs and MGEs with chicken-frass application were more close to those from the bulk soil in the control. Structural equation models indicated that livestock manure addition was the main driver shaping soil ARGs with raw manure application, while MGEs were the key drivers in frass-amended treatments. These findings demonstrated that application of livestock manure vermicomposting via scarab larvae (P. brevitarsis) may be at low risk in spreading manure-borne ARGs through soil-plant system, providing an alternative technique for reducing ARGs in organic waste
Learning and teaching academic standards in landscape architecture
No full textDeveloping and assessing learning outcomes for work-readiness and employment has been long overdue in Landscape Architecture in Australia, but few studies have shown how this could be done at a local level. Aligned with the academic standards for bachelor and masters levels, as mandated by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), an iterative three-stage approach was undertaken to develop Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for a revised national accreditation of Australian Landscape Architecture programmes. Ten TLOs, across the domains of graduate knowledge, skills/abilities and individual attributes were developed in relation to participant’s comments in the study. Participants also advocated for the assessment of TLOs such as open ended tasks, problem-solving tasks, portfolios and peer assessments for assessing domains of graduate attributes. National academic standards and assessments are thus suggested here as minimum threshold learning outcomes that can be customised and assessed by Landscape Architecture programme directors in Australian universities
Trends in bird counts 1978-2020 in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest with variable control of mammalian predators
No full textMany New Zealand native bird species are threatened by introduced mammalian predators, and pest management programs are common in the country. Despite that, measuring the efficacy of such programs is often limited by resources, and thus the long-term population status of many native birds is not well documented. Here, we examined long-term population trends of forest bird species and changes in the bird community structure at Craigieburn Forest Park, where there was intermittent control of stoats (Mustela erminea). We analyzed 10,938 5-min bird point counts covering the periods 1978–1982, 1999–2004, and 2019–2020 in an old-growth Nothofagus (southern beech) forest. We assessed trends over time in the counts of each bird species with season, elevation, and site as co-variables. We also tested for a relationship with variable seed crops of the mast-seeding canopy tree, N. solandri var. cliffortioides.
Bellbird (Anthornis melanura) was the only native species showing a continuous increase over time. In the first 25 years of the study, stoat control was intermittent, and more native birds decreased than increased. In later years, stoat control was continuous, and more native species increased than decreased. Large Nothofagus seed crops were associated with significant increases in all six exotic bird species tested, but only one of nine native bird species. These findings suggest that long-term trends of bird populations are influenced by the interactions of species vulnerability to stoat predation and the consistency of pest control efforts. Unfortunately, ship rats (Rattus rattus), which were absent at Craigieburn before 2010, are now common and may pose a new threat to native birds. Our results show that systematic long-term bird and seedfall monitoring, including careful archiving of sampling information, is helpful to guide conservation of the remaining native birds of New Zealand
Importance of greater interdisciplinarity and geographic scope when tackling the driving forces behind biological invasions
No full textInvasive non-native species are important drivers of ecosystem change, yet the driving forces of biological invasions themselves are poorly understood. Such information is essential to ensure policies focus on the most relevant drivers, and that future scenarios capture the full range of potential outcomes for invasive non-native species. I carried out a bibliometric analysis of articles published from 2000 to 2020 that address either invasive non-native species or biodiversity and ecosystem services and that also mention 1 or more drivers of ecosystem change. I examined 5 indirect drivers (demographic, economic, governance, sociocultural, and technological) and 6 direct drivers (climate change, invasive non-native species, land-use or sea-use change, natural hazards, pollution, and resource extraction). Using the Web of Science core collection of citation indexes, I undertook searches of article titles and keywords and retrieved 27,462 articles addressing invasive non-native species and 110,087 articles dealing with biodiversity or ecosystem services. Most research to date on biological invasions as well as on biodiversity and ecosystem services has focused on anthropogenic direct drivers of ecosystem change rather than indirect drivers. Yet currently, less than 18% of articles addressing biological invasions examined drivers of ecosystem change, a similar level to that found over 20 years ago for biodiversity or ecosystem services. Knowledge of the drivers of biological invasions is limited, emphasizes tractable drivers over those that require an interdisciplinary approach, and is biased toward developed economies. Drivers generally deemed important for biological invasions, such as governance and resource extraction, accounted for less than 2% of research effort. The absence of a systematic understanding of the forces that drive invasive non-native species and how they interact means that attempts to mitigate or forecast biological invasions are likely to fail. To address biological invasions requires a much better orientation of national and international research on drivers in relation to both their actual importance as well as their policy relevance
Ripples from an earthquake: Legacies of a disaster volunteer response
No full textThe Student Volunteer Army was formed following the earthquake sequence of 2010–2011 in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, and has since been widely celebrated as a youth-led volunteer disaster response. More than ten years after the mobilisation, we trace the legacies of this action through in-depth interviews. Our findings demonstrate that informal disaster volunteerism can generate numerous legacies that span the biographical, social and institutional arenas. Utilising the analogy of ripples in a lake, we identify how these ripples from the student-led mobilisation extended well beyond the temporal and spatial confines of the disaster context in which they originated, and gained their own momentum in ways that were at times consciously encouraged by actors but also unintended. In identifying these legacies, our analysis helps better understand the potential impact of informal disaster volunteerism beyond the material contribution made in the immediate disaster response period. Our discussion considers the theoretical and practical implications of situating informal disaster volunteerism in a temporal context that extends prior to and well after disaster
Consumer attitudes towards plastic-free food shopping
No full textSingle-use plastic packaging contributes to high standards of food quality and safety whilst facilitating the ease of which marketers are able to communicate product information to consumers. However, plastics contribute to issues regarding human health and marine ecosystems. Therefore, a more nuanced understanding of plastics is required to enable a transition towards more sustainable packaging. This study aims to understand consumer motivations, barriers, and enablers toward plastic reduction in the food system. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with consumers who self-identified as plastic reducers. Findings indicate that consumers are motivated to reduce their use of plastic food packaging due to concerns about environmental pollution and lack of recycling options. However, behaviour change was often inhibited by time and accessibility constraints, and structural issues in the food retailing sector such as limited package-free purchasing options in major supermarkets as well as availability and access issues for refillery and bulk-food stores
Heterogeneous impacts of information technology adoption on pesticide and fertilizer expenditures: Evidence from wheat farmers in China
No full textThis study examines the impacts of mobile information technology adoption on agrochemical expenditures, using data collected from 551 wheat farmers in China. Unlike previous studies that analyze a homogeneous relationship between the adoption of information technologies and farm input use, in this study, an instrumental variable quantile regression approach is utilized to capture the heterogeneous impacts of smartphone use on pesticide and fertilizer expenditures. Findings reveal that smartphone use affects pesticide and fertilizer expenditures heterogeneously, and its impacts on pesticide expenditure are larger than those on fertilizer expenditure. Specifically, at the lowest 20th quantile, smartphone use significantly increases pesticide expenditure by 33% and fertilizer expenditure by 18%. However, at the higher 60th and 80th quantiles, smartphone use significantly decreases pesticide expenditure by 36-39% and fertilizer expenditure by 14-19%. Our findings suggest that guiding farmers’ agrochemical usage behaviors through smartphone-based information intervention can be a practical strategy to help reduce the excessive usage of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and preserve the environment and human health
Diversity and patterns of marine non-native species in the archipelagos of Macaronesia
No full textAims: The present study is the first attempt to grasp the scale and richness of marine biological invasions in Macaronesia. We pioneered a comprehensive non-native species (NNS), inventory in the region to determine their diversity patterns and native distribution origins. NNS were defined here as the result of both introductions and range expansions. We also used statistical modelling to examine relationships among NNS richness, anthropogenic activities, demographic and geographical variables across Macaronesia.
Location: Macaronesia.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted for marine NNS records in Macaronesia, registering the first record's location and year from 1884 to 2020. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate differences and similarities in community composition. By applying a Generalized Linear Model (GLM), we tested hypotheses regarding NNS richness as a function of anthropogenic activities, demographic and geographical variables.
Results: A total of 144 marine non-native species (NNS) were recorded for the whole of Macaronesia. The highest NNS richness was registered in the Canary Islands (76 NNS), followed by the Azores (66 NNS), Madeira (59 NNS) and finally Cabo Verde (18 NNS). Some differences amongst archipelagos were observed, such as the high number of non-native macroalgae in the Azores, fishes in the Canary Islands and tunicates in Cabo Verde. Overall, macroalgae, tunicates and bryozoans were the predominant taxonomic groups in the Macaronesian archipelagos. Madeira and Canary Islands were the archipelagos with more similarity in marine NNS, and Cabo Verde the most divergent. Finally, GLM suggested that non-native richness patterns across Macaronesia were dependent on the considered archipelago and strongly affected by (1) minimum distance to the mainland, (2) the total number of ports and marinas and (3) total marinas area (km²).
Conclusions: The model results and NNS listing in the present study will likely raise the awareness and response regarding marine NNS in the whole Macaronesia region, serving as a baseline for future research as well as implementing and enforcing regulations related to the introduction of marine NNS in oceanic islands