19366 research outputs found
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Recreational hunting, food access and consumption
No full textThis study builds upon the research reported in a forthcoming LEaP report which explores the relationships between recreational hunting and food access and consumption in New Zealand.
• Twenty-five hunters who had completed the cross-sectional online survey in 2022 were interviewed to ascertain the ways in which hunted meat contributes to their household food.
• It was found that meat, though a prized outcome of hunting, is rarely the sole reason for a hunting trip. Rather, wild meat is valued alongside other benefits as a cheap source of low-fat protein that is eaten and shared with pride. Its absence would be felt both culturally and financially, particularly in those households that have come to rely on it
Making sense of action bias in higher education: Pedagogical insights on critical thinking
No full textAction bias, the cognitive tendency to favour action over inaction regardless of its necessity, has been extensively studied across domains such as behavioural economics, organizational behaviour, and policy development. However, its manifestation in educational contexts remains critically underexplored. In the digital age, with an abundance of both factual and misleading information, the persistence of action bias within education jeopardizes the cultivation of initial critical thinking capable of addressing multifaceted global challenges. This exploratory study investigates how action bias influences problem-solving behaviours within higher education. Through workshops conducted with university students ranging from undergraduate to PhD levels, participants were tasked with solving a practical yet ambiguous problem to highlight potential cognitive differences across educational stages. Despite prior training in critical thinking, participants consistently defaulted to immediate ideation, bypassing fundamental inquiries into the problem's legitimacy or broader implications. Using a sensemaking approach, this study demonstrates that reflexive actions are not interpreted as merely cognitive shortcuts, but behaviours shaped by educational systems prioritizing visible outputs over critical inquiry. The findings reveal how institutional norms foster a performative academic identity, conflating speed and compliance with intellectual competence. This research challenges traditional pedagogical models, advocating for educational reforms that emphasize the process of learning. By situating action bias within the broader framework of active learning, this study offers actionable insights for educators, policy makers and researchers to foster critical innovative thinking, essential in an increasingly digital futur
Nitrous oxide sources, mechanisms and mitigation
No full textAtmospheric nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance. In this Review, we outline global N₂O sources, with a focus on hotspots and hot moments, and discuss strategies to mitigate N₂O emissions. N2O can be released by natural sources such as bedrock weathering, but anthropogenic sources such as agriculture account for 40% of total emissions. Hotspots are localized regions of high emissions and include cropland soils (2.1 Tg N yr‾¹), tropical forests (1.55 Tg N yr‾¹), pasture soils with animal waste return (1.7 Tg N yr−1), and streams and small lakes (0.4 Tg N yr‾¹). Brief periods of intense emissions, known as hot moments, include post-deforestation, upland soils after fertilizer application, and desert and grasslands after precipitation. N₂O production from terrestrial and aquatic environments is mainly driven by two microbial processes: nitrification and denitrification. Bioaugmentation and biogeoengineering technologies hold potential for reducing N₂O emissions; for example, nature-based anammox hotspot geoengineering in Jiaxing, China, reduces N₂O emissions by 27.1%. However, the spatiotemporal heterogeneities and different production pathways of N₂O emissions are poorly represented in existing models, hindering the quantification and mitigation of emissions. A global N₂O database is needed to address this limitation. Additionally, artificial intelligence technology could enable real-time agricultural management to align nitrogen supply with crop demand
Downy mildew of cocksfoot: Temperature-dependent patterns in sporulation and zoospore release
No full textCocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) is a key pasture species in New Zealand. Since 2018, a downy mildew
disease has been observed affecting seed production in the Canterbury region. Symptoms initially appear
as irregular yellow to brown lesions on leaves and banding on stems, which progressively expand, leading
to chlorosis, seed head bleaching, and ultimately reduced seed yield and quality. The causal agent has
tentatively been identified as the obligate biotrophic oomycete, Sclerophthora cryophila, pending further
phylogenetic analysis. This study aimed to assess how temperature influences the sporangia formation,
sporulation and zoospore behaviour of this pathogen. Infected plant tissues were floated on water to
induce sporulation and incubated at temperatures ranging from 4°C to 24°C. Sporangia retained on
tissues were collected using Sellotape; free zoospores and sporangia in water were counted using a
haemocytometer, with swimming speed being used to score zoospore activity. The results showed that
lower temperatures, particularly 4°C, enhanced sporangia development and sustained sporulation,
suggesting the pathogen is well-adapted to cool climates. Zoospore release peaked at 14°C, where rapid
encystment was also observed. Additionally, higher temperatures (19°C－24°C) increased sporangia
detachment from tissues. These findings show the role of temperature in the cocksfoot downy mildew life
cycle and suggest environmental conditions may drive disease outbreaks in cocksfoot, informing future
epidemiological studies and management strategie
Reducing uncertainty of groundwater redox condition predictions at national scale, for decision making and policy
No full textUnderstanding hydrogeochemical heterogeneity, associated with natural nitrate attenuation, is an integral part of implementing integrated land and water management on a regional or national scale. Redox conditions are a key indicator of naturally occurring denitrification in the groundwater environment, and often used to inform spatial planning and targeted regulation. This work describes the development of a statistical redox condition model for the groundwater environment at a national scale, using spatially variable physiochemical descriptors as predictors. The proposed approach builds on previous work, by complementing the available data with expert knowledge, in the form of synthetic data. Special care is given so that the synthetic data do not overfit and create further imbalances to the training dataset. The predictor dataset is further complemented by the results of a data driven model of the water table developed for this study, which is used both as a predictive parameter and a reference level for groundwater redox condition predictions at different depths. The developed model predicted the redox class for 84% of the samples in the out-of-bag datasets. We also propose an alternative approach for the communication of prediction uncertainty. We use the concept of a discriminate function to identify model classifications that may be ambiguous. Our results show a marked reduction in prediction uncertainty at shallow depths, with uncertainty in reduced environments decreasing from 76 to 12%, and overall uncertainty reduced by approximately 20%, though improvements at greater depths are less pronounced. We conclude that this approach can highlight robust model predictions that are defendable for decision making and can identify areas where monitoring or sampling efforts can be focused for improved outcomes
Aid in the age of Amazon: Imperial logics, Pacific resistance and an alternate paradigm
No full textRecent disruptions in international aid, including geopolitics, technological innovation, and budget cuts, have prompted debate about paradigm shift. Drawing on critical Pacific scholarship and regional experience, we argue these changes represent consolidation rather than transformation, intensifying imperial logics that have long defined aid relationships. Donor dominance persists, private actors proliferate, and Pacific agency remains constrained with the aid sector. Yet an alternative paradigm already exists. Through resistance, recalibration, and pragmatic diplomacy, Pacific states and societies have long asserted development as relational, sovereign, and self‐determined. We argue real transformation will not come from within the system, but from joining those pushing beyond it
Driving Muslim female riders to go green: switching to eco-friendly e-motorcycles
No full textPurpose: This study aims to examine the factors influencing the switching intentions towards e-motorcycles among young Muslim female consumers. The research integrates the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), prospect theory and environmental concern theory, with an additional focus on religious compatibility to enhance the accuracy of predictions. Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected through a survey of 486 young Indonesian Muslim females who currently ride conventional motorcycles. The data was then analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationships. Findings: The findings reveal that practicality, including factors like convenience and safety, is the main driver of the intention to switch to e-motorcycles. This is followed by favourable attitudes towards e-motorcycles and religious compatibility. These favourable attitudes are largely influenced by environmental concerns, practicality, favourable cost-benefit analysis and religious compatibility. Notably, the study did not find significant differences in these relationships between respondents with or without prior e-motorcycle experience. Practical implications: This study offers actionable recommendations for marketers and policymakers to effectively promote sustainable transportation among young Muslim female consumers. By addressing both gender-specific and broader consumer needs, strategies can be developed to enhance the adoption of e-motorcycles. Originality/value: This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of switching behaviour by integrating religious compatibility with established theories. It provides a nuanced perspective on the factors driving e-motorcycle adoption, particularly among young Muslim female consumers, an underexplored demographic in the context of sustainable transportation
Managing extraction of colour, tannin and methoxypyrazines in Pinot noir grapes treated by leaf removal
No full textManaging extraction of tannins and green aroma compounds attributed from methoxypyrazines in winemaking is crucial for producing high quality Pinot noir wine. This study1 investigated the impact of leaf removal on concentrations of anthocyanins, tannins, and methoxypyrazines in Pinot noir grapes and resultant wines. Leaf removal was conducted at 7 days (LR7), 30 days (LR30), and 60 days (LR60) after flowering, and the no leaf was removed in the control treatment (LRC). Leaf removal could significantly increase the concentration of anthocyanins in Pinot noir grapes and reduce the concentration of methoxypyrazines, especially in grape stems, in comparison with the control treatment. Early leaf removal (LR7 and LR30) showed greater effect on enhancing the colour density, polymeric pigments, and tannin concentration in the resultant wines. LR7 treatment showed significantly higher proportion of skin-derived tannins in resultant wine, compared to LRC. Although the aroma analysis of resultant wines showed significant differences between treatments, the impact of leaf removal on the aroma profiles was not evident by the sensory evaluation. These findings offer valuable insights for managing the extraction of colour, tannin and methoxypyrazines in Pinot noir wines, enabling winemakers to optimize quality through targeted viticultural and winemaking practices
Species that invade natural areas have shorter lag times than other naturalized ornamental species
No full textTime lags between initial introduction and subsequent naturalization of non-native species are infrequently quantified but are pivotal to address the dynamics of plant invasions. Key outstanding questions are the magnitude of these time lags, how they reflect variation in introduction effort, and whether they tend to be shorter for species known to be invasive. Using ornamental plant nursery catalogues from New Zealand spanning over 130 years, we examined lag times for introduced ornamental plants, contrasting species invasive in natural areas with other naturalized species and accounting for introduction effort. We estimated the date of introduction from the first record in nursery catalogues and calculated the lag time between the first record and the date of naturalization. Introduction effort was estimated using the frequency with which plants were sold across catalogues following introduction. Of the 1395 ornamental species in our nursery catalogue database, 340 (24%) had become naturalized by 2020. Lag times for all naturalized species averaged only 60 years and have not changed significantly over time. Ornamental species that invade natural areas had shorter lag times than other naturalized ornamentals, and this was not explained by the frequency with which a species was listed in nursery catalogues or its life form. New Zealand's world-leading biosecurity regulations limiting the introduction of non-native ornamental plants were only implemented in the last 30 years. Given an average 60-year lag time, this indicates a substantial invasion debt. Therefore, a significant number of species currently grown in private gardens likely have the potential to naturalize and become invasive in the coming decades, particularly those ornamentals that are or have been widely sold. A better understanding of both the historical and contemporary ornamental horticulture market appears essential to disentangle drivers of plant naturalization and their impacts from historical trends and to correctly identify future high-risk specie
Lessons for steepland forestry harvesting in New Zealand from recent Resource Management Act prosecutions
No full textPlantation forest harvesting has led to sediment
and logging slash impacting downstream communities
and environments. In this paper we analyse five
Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 convictions of
forestry companies arising from the June 2018 storm
events in Tairāwhiti | Gisborne. All the New Zealand
District Court decisions analysed were based on crossexaminable evidence and consistent with each other. They clearly show what is required if companies are to avoid legal action under the RMA in future.
In particular, the decisions state that harvesting
on erosion-susceptible land requires absolute
compliance with consent conditions. Yet, even with
absolute compliance, there is a large risk remaining
of slash and sediment discharges. We believe this
risk is most effectively managed by reducing clearfell
coupe sizes on erosion-susceptible land and retiring
this land where the risk of non-compliance is high