title: Evidence and education: The braided roles of research, policy and practice in New Zealand

authors: Alcorn, Noeline

subjects: education

abstract: Calls for educational policy and practice to be evidence-based have become insistent, yet there is ongoing contestation of the purpose and value of educational research. This paper addresses criticism of research from practitioners, politicians and policy makers and from within the research community itself. It examines the impact of the PBRF in New Zealand and the call for evidence-based practice here, in the UK and the US. It draws attention to research studies that are possible models for a principled and methodologically inclusive way forward and develops a set of principles for guiding future development in teacher education and education research.

text: Evidence and education: The braided roles of research, policy and practice in New Zealand Calls for educational policy and practice to be evidence-based have become insistent, yet there is ongoing contestation of the purpose and value of educational research. This paper addresses criticism of research from practitioners, politicians and policy makers and from within the research community itself. It examines the impact of the PBRF in New Zealand and the call for evidence-based practice here, in the UK and the US. It draws attention to research studies that are possible models for a principled and methodologically inclusive way forward and develops a set of principles for guiding future development in teacher education and education research.

year: 2008

title: Visual estimation of the direction of complex moving patterns by domestic chickens (Gallus gallus): A behavioural analytical approach

authors: Bright, John Grady

subjects: Behaviour Analysis

abstract: Humans and nonhuman primates are able to combine ambiguous directions of movement in a scene into a global motion percept and are able to solve the problem of estimating motion direction. There is extensive research on motion perception in humans, mammals and some avian species but little is known about the motion perception capabilities of the domestic chicken. We investigated whether domestic chickens are capable of determining global motion direction and developed methods whereby they were able to reliably indicate their direction estimates. A number of preliminary directional learning training conditions were used in order to teach the birds to selectively respond to moving patterns (sine wave gratings) which were moving in one of three directions (45°, 135° or 90°). Once this learning had occurred and was reliable, we presented ‘plaid’ probe trials which were summed gratings moving at 45° and 135°.  Humans and nonhuman primates perceive this combined plaid pattern to be moving upwards at 90°.  The experiments investigated whether the birds perceived upwards (90°) motion or the two diagonal directions separately when shown the plaid probe stimuli. The data show that the domestic chickens in our study were able to make directional judgements based on motion cues (they could reliably indicate 45° and 135° directions) but did not perceive the combined upward (90°) global motion as humans and nonhuman primates do. This suggests that they process visual motion differently from us.

text: Visual estimation of the direction of complex moving patterns by domestic chickens (Gallus gallus): A behavioural analytical approach Humans and nonhuman primates are able to combine ambiguous directions of movement in a scene into a global motion percept and are able to solve the problem of estimating motion direction. There is extensive research on motion perception in humans, mammals and some avian species but little is known about the motion perception capabilities of the domestic chicken. We investigated whether domestic chickens are capable of determining global motion direction and developed methods whereby they were able to reliably indicate their direction estimates. A number of preliminary directional learning training conditions were used in order to teach the birds to selectively respond to moving patterns (sine wave gratings) which were moving in one of three directions (45°, 135° or 90°). Once this learning had occurred and was reliable, we presented ‘plaid’ probe trials which were summed gratings moving at 45° and 135°.  Humans and nonhuman primates perceive this combined plaid pattern to be moving upwards at 90°.  The experiments investigated whether the birds perceived upwards (90°) motion or the two diagonal directions separately when shown the plaid probe stimuli. The data show that the domestic chickens in our study were able to make directional judgements based on motion cues (they could reliably indicate 45° and 135° directions) but did not perceive the combined upward (90°) global motion as humans and nonhuman primates do. This suggests that they process visual motion differently from us.

year: 2016

title: Birds vs. Clams: Assessing the impacts of South Island pied oystercatcher predation on Toheroa at Ripiro Beach, New Zealand

authors: Vallyon, Lolita-Maria Dolores

abstract: Managing the recovery of interacting species, such as predator and prey, is one of the most challenging factors of an ecosystem-based conservation approach. The actions taken to protect one species may be in conflict with the actions necessary to protect another. For example, the recovery of a predator in an ecosystem can lead to a significant conservation conflict between the protected predator and its protected prey. In these instances, research is required to determine whether a perceived conflict is in fact happening in order to inform proper management decisions. In New Zealand, a conservation conflict exists between an endemic, recovering shorebird, the South Island pied oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus finschi), and an endemic surf clam, the toheroa (Paphies ventricosa) at Ripiro Beach, Northland. The toheroa was overharvested until the populations collapsed, with commercial and recreational harvesting bans put in place by the 1970s. The toheroa has continued to decline, and the cause is currently unknown. Oystercatcher predation has been implicated as the reason toheroa populations have not recovered. There have even been calls to cull the birds to protect the clams. Currently, there is no information that would facilitate conservation management in determining the appropriate action to take. My thesis aimed to investigate the claims surrounding this perceived interspecific conflict. It sought to examine the predator-prey interactions between the two species by answering the following three questions: 1) what are the spatio-temporal associations between oystercatchers and toheroa, 2) what is the composition of the oystercatcher’s diet, and 3) what size toheroa are the birds taking? 
Bird surveys were conducted to examine the distribution of oystercatchers monthly from March 2019 to February 2020. Oystercatcher foraging behaviour was observed to collect information on prey type and prey location. Feeding holes left by oystercatcher bills at predation sites were examined to determine oystercatcher predation success. A population survey was conducted on toheroa beds exposed to oystercatcher predation versus control beds to assess if there were differences in the density and size structure between toheroa populations. 

Results did not support the hypothesis that the oystercatchers are the cause behind the limited recovery of the toheroa, but they did indicate that the birds may be having localised impacts. There was limited overlap with toheroa, as the birds were found predominantly at the southern half of Ripiro Beach and were only associated with two major toheroa beds. Observations found that bivalves are a significant food resource for oystercatchers and the birds have a high predation success rate. There was a significant difference in the density and size structure between toheroa populations in beds that were oystercatcher predation sites and those at no-predation sites. However, even in the areas with the most intense oystercatcher predation, toheroa have persisted over time. While there potentially is a small local impact, overall, the South Island pied oystercatcher is not responsible for the continuing decline of the toheroa across the whole of Ripiro Beach and are not causing devastation as claimed. 
The perceived conservation conflict between the two endemic species is likely incorrect. This research demonstrates the importance of acquiring information on interacting species prior to management action to protect one of those species. Information presented in this thesis can be used to support conservation managers in making informed decisions to protect both the toheroa and the South Island pied oystercatcher.

text: Birds vs. Clams: Assessing the impacts of South Island pied oystercatcher predation on Toheroa at Ripiro Beach, New Zealand Managing the recovery of interacting species, such as predator and prey, is one of the most challenging factors of an ecosystem-based conservation approach. The actions taken to protect one species may be in conflict with the actions necessary to protect another. For example, the recovery of a predator in an ecosystem can lead to a significant conservation conflict between the protected predator and its protected prey. In these instances, research is required to determine whether a perceived conflict is in fact happening in order to inform proper management decisions. In New Zealand, a conservation conflict exists between an endemic, recovering shorebird, the South Island pied oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus finschi), and an endemic surf clam, the toheroa (Paphies ventricosa) at Ripiro Beach, Northland. The toheroa was overharvested until the populations collapsed, with commercial and recreational harvesting bans put in place by the 1970s. The toheroa has continued to decline, and the cause is currently unknown. Oystercatcher predation has been implicated as the reason toheroa populations have not recovered. There have even been calls to cull the birds to protect the clams. Currently, there is no information that would facilitate conservation management in determining the appropriate action to take. My thesis aimed to investigate the claims surrounding this perceived interspecific conflict. It sought to examine the predator-prey interactions between the two species by answering the following three questions: 1) what are the spatio-temporal associations between oystercatchers and toheroa, 2) what is the composition of the oystercatcher’s diet, and 3) what size toheroa are the birds taking? 
Bird surveys were conducted to examine the distribution of oystercatchers monthly from March 2019 to February 2020. Oystercatcher foraging behaviour was observed to collect information on prey type and prey location. Feeding holes left by oystercatcher bills at predation sites were examined to determine oystercatcher predation success. A population survey was conducted on toheroa beds exposed to oystercatcher predation versus control beds to assess if there were differences in the density and size structure between toheroa populations. 

Results did not support the hypothesis that the oystercatchers are the cause behind the limited recovery of the toheroa, but they did indicate that the birds may be having localised impacts. There was limited overlap with toheroa, as the birds were found predominantly at the southern half of Ripiro Beach and were only associated with two major toheroa beds. Observations found that bivalves are a significant food resource for oystercatchers and the birds have a high predation success rate. There was a significant difference in the density and size structure between toheroa populations in beds that were oystercatcher predation sites and those at no-predation sites. However, even in the areas with the most intense oystercatcher predation, toheroa have persisted over time. While there potentially is a small local impact, overall, the South Island pied oystercatcher is not responsible for the continuing decline of the toheroa across the whole of Ripiro Beach and are not causing devastation as claimed. 
The perceived conservation conflict between the two endemic species is likely incorrect. This research demonstrates the importance of acquiring information on interacting species prior to management action to protect one of those species. Information presented in this thesis can be used to support conservation managers in making informed decisions to protect both the toheroa and the South Island pied oystercatcher.

year: 2020