title: Shared reading of children's interactive picture books

authors: Timpany, Claire

subjects: computer science

abstract: We report on a study of children and parents shared reading of interactive printed books. We investigated the differences between books with interactive features and books with expressive typography in order to evaluate which features within a book encouraged interaction between the reading participants and the book. 11 parent and child groups took part in the study that involved three observed reading sessions. From our observations we offer suggestions for the development of books and eBooks to encourage shared reading practices.

text: Shared reading of children's interactive picture books We report on a study of children and parents shared reading of interactive printed books. We investigated the differences between books with interactive features and books with expressive typography in order to evaluate which features within a book encouraged interaction between the reading participants and the book. 11 parent and child groups took part in the study that involved three observed reading sessions. From our observations we offer suggestions for the development of books and eBooks to encourage shared reading practices.

year: 2014

title: Water requirements for 'Hass' avocado flowering and fruit development in New Zealand

authors: Kaneko, Teruko

subjects: avocado

abstract: The aim of this work was to determine water requirements for Persea americana 'Hass’ avocado trees (mature, ca. 9 years and young, ca. 3 years) from November 2014 to October 2015 in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. In addition, the effect of water deficit on flowering and early fruit development was investigated in young avocado (ca. 3 years) trees. 

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was calculated by the FAO Penman-Monteith equation based on weather information at the orchard. Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) of avocado was measured by sap flow measurements using the compensation heat pulse method (CHPM), and daily crop evapotranspiration was also estimated from a soil water balance (Ewb). Avocado tree water requirements were calculated as crop coefficients (Kc - the ETo/ETc ratio).
•	Monthly cumulative ETo showed a gradual reduction from 145.9 mm in January to 297.7 mm in June. Monthly cumulative ETc for both the mature and young plants was highest at 75 and 41.8 mm in January, and the lowest at 22.4 and 13.53 mm in July, respectively. The results showed a close correlation between ETc and ETo. 
•	Ewb was higher than ETc by 22 % for the mature and 55 % for the young plants, probably caused by drainage which was not measured.
•	In summer, monthly average Kc varied between 0.45-0.60 for the mature and 0.25-0.30 for the young plants. In winter, Kc increased to 0.9-1.0 for the mature and 0.45-0.55 for the young plants.   

To investigate the effect of water deficit on flowering and fruit development, rainout shelters were set up under the young trees from mid-October 2014. During this treatment, the control plants were well irrigated and fertilized, while the drought plants received no irrigation, precipitation, or fertilizers. The rainout shelters were removed in early-May 2015, and monitoring was continued until late-October.
•	During the rainout treatment, at a depth of 0-30 cm, soil water contents of the drought treated plants dropped to 0.13 m3/m3, while that of the control remained above 0.2 m3/m3. However, from March, soil water content of the drought plants was stable at 0.20 m3/m3 at a depth of 31-60 cm and 0.25 m3/m3 at a depth of 61-90 cm. Spatial soil moisture demonstrated the soil was  drier close to the drought treated trees, but wetter near the edge of the rainout shelters. These measurements suggest the drought plants were able to obtain some water from the deeper soil or outside the shelters. 
•	Predawn leaf water potential (PLWP) of the drought plants was lower by 0.06-0.22 MPa than that of the control plants during the flowering season. However, in December, there was no significant difference in stomatal conductance (gs) between the two treatments. The drought leaf water potential (LWP) and stem water potential (SWP) were more negative than the control LWP and SWP. In January and February, the drought LWP and SWP dropped to -0.43 MPa and -0.30 MPa, whereas the control LWP and SWP were around -0.25 MPa and -0.23 MPa, respectively, assuming the rainout shelters caused moderate water stress in the drought-treated plants.
•	Throughout the flowering season, in total, 1382 open female flowers on the control plants and 1515 flowers on the drought plants were marked and their fates monitored. About 21 % of control flowers and 23 % of the drought flowers remained on the tree 16 days after anthesis. 100 days after anthesis, only 4 control and 1 drought fruit from the monitored flowers were retained on the plants. 
•	The two treatments had significant fruit drop in summer, about 70 % of marked fruit dropped in January and February, and a second peak of fruit abscission occurred in winter, caused by frost. At harvest, the retention rate of fruit for the control and drought treatments were 15 % and 5 %, respectively. Moreover, the drought plants had smaller fruit size than fruit of the control plants by 21 % at harvest. The differences in fruit abscission and fruit size were probably caused by the combined effects of water deficit, nutrient deficiency, and crop load. 
•	The control had higher average yield at 36.4 ± 1.1 kg per plant than the drought plants at 27.8 ± 1.0 kg per plant. The dry matter content of the control fruit was 30.4 ± 0.3 %, 7% higher than that of the drought fruit. 

The results can be used to develop irrigation recommendations, and that under the conditions described here the trees were difficult to drought stress in spring and flowering did not appear to be very sensitive to drought stress. However, early fruit growth was very sensitive to water deficits, resulting in a large reduction in fruit size.

text: Water requirements for 'Hass' avocado flowering and fruit development in New Zealand The aim of this work was to determine water requirements for Persea americana 'Hass’ avocado trees (mature, ca. 9 years and young, ca. 3 years) from November 2014 to October 2015 in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. In addition, the effect of water deficit on flowering and early fruit development was investigated in young avocado (ca. 3 years) trees. 

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was calculated by the FAO Penman-Monteith equation based on weather information at the orchard. Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) of avocado was measured by sap flow measurements using the compensation heat pulse method (CHPM), and daily crop evapotranspiration was also estimated from a soil water balance (Ewb). Avocado tree water requirements were calculated as crop coefficients (Kc - the ETo/ETc ratio).
•	Monthly cumulative ETo showed a gradual reduction from 145.9 mm in January to 297.7 mm in June. Monthly cumulative ETc for both the mature and young plants was highest at 75 and 41.8 mm in January, and the lowest at 22.4 and 13.53 mm in July, respectively. The results showed a close correlation between ETc and ETo. 
•	Ewb was higher than ETc by 22 % for the mature and 55 % for the young plants, probably caused by drainage which was not measured.
•	In summer, monthly average Kc varied between 0.45-0.60 for the mature and 0.25-0.30 for the young plants. In winter, Kc increased to 0.9-1.0 for the mature and 0.45-0.55 for the young plants.   

To investigate the effect of water deficit on flowering and fruit development, rainout shelters were set up under the young trees from mid-October 2014. During this treatment, the control plants were well irrigated and fertilized, while the drought plants received no irrigation, precipitation, or fertilizers. The rainout shelters were removed in early-May 2015, and monitoring was continued until late-October.
•	During the rainout treatment, at a depth of 0-30 cm, soil water contents of the drought treated plants dropped to 0.13 m3/m3, while that of the control remained above 0.2 m3/m3. However, from March, soil water content of the drought plants was stable at 0.20 m3/m3 at a depth of 31-60 cm and 0.25 m3/m3 at a depth of 61-90 cm. Spatial soil moisture demonstrated the soil was  drier close to the drought treated trees, but wetter near the edge of the rainout shelters. These measurements suggest the drought plants were able to obtain some water from the deeper soil or outside the shelters. 
•	Predawn leaf water potential (PLWP) of the drought plants was lower by 0.06-0.22 MPa than that of the control plants during the flowering season. However, in December, there was no significant difference in stomatal conductance (gs) between the two treatments. The drought leaf water potential (LWP) and stem water potential (SWP) were more negative than the control LWP and SWP. In January and February, the drought LWP and SWP dropped to -0.43 MPa and -0.30 MPa, whereas the control LWP and SWP were around -0.25 MPa and -0.23 MPa, respectively, assuming the rainout shelters caused moderate water stress in the drought-treated plants.
•	Throughout the flowering season, in total, 1382 open female flowers on the control plants and 1515 flowers on the drought plants were marked and their fates monitored. About 21 % of control flowers and 23 % of the drought flowers remained on the tree 16 days after anthesis. 100 days after anthesis, only 4 control and 1 drought fruit from the monitored flowers were retained on the plants. 
•	The two treatments had significant fruit drop in summer, about 70 % of marked fruit dropped in January and February, and a second peak of fruit abscission occurred in winter, caused by frost. At harvest, the retention rate of fruit for the control and drought treatments were 15 % and 5 %, respectively. Moreover, the drought plants had smaller fruit size than fruit of the control plants by 21 % at harvest. The differences in fruit abscission and fruit size were probably caused by the combined effects of water deficit, nutrient deficiency, and crop load. 
•	The control had higher average yield at 36.4 ± 1.1 kg per plant than the drought plants at 27.8 ± 1.0 kg per plant. The dry matter content of the control fruit was 30.4 ± 0.3 %, 7% higher than that of the drought fruit. 

The results can be used to develop irrigation recommendations, and that under the conditions described here the trees were difficult to drought stress in spring and flowering did not appear to be very sensitive to drought stress. However, early fruit growth was very sensitive to water deficits, resulting in a large reduction in fruit size.

year: 2016

title: The recruitment dynamics of post-settlement juvenile toheroa and the potential applications for aquaculture

authors: van der Lee, Marieka

subjects: Toheroa

abstract: Managing the recovery of threatened species due to anthropogenic disturbance is one of the most challenging problems in ecological monitoring. Researching species ecology is vital to help us improve ecosystem health and subsequently develop better management strategies in the environment. Humanity is entirely reliant on ecosystem services for food security. With the world population expected to reach ten billion by 2050, there is a growing need for more sustainable food sources. With the exploitation of many environmental resources worldwide, aquaculture has been championed as a sustainable option for future seafood production. In New Zealand, the toheroa (Paphies ventricosa) has been identified as a potentially valuable asset to the aquaculture industry and for possible conservation strategies via the implementation of reseeding populations with hatchery-reared spat.

Toheroa faced inadequate resource management and exploitation in the 1900s which ultimately led to the closure of an important recreational, cultural and commercial fishery. However, toheroa populations have failed to recover despite over 40 years of protection. It has been proposed that the continued decline of toheroa populations is not due to a lack of juvenile recruitment. Very little is known about juvenile toheroa recruitment, and there is no available information that could facilitate restoration management or determine the appropriate action to take for monitoring juvenile populations. From both a conservation and an aquaculture perspective, understanding the underlying ecology will be pivotal for future endeavours.

My thesis aimed to investigate the distribution dynamics of post-settlement juvenile toheroa on Ripiro Beach and the potential applications for aquaculture. Population surveys were conducted on Ripiro Beach in February and May to establish a sampling methodology that accurately captures the juvenile population both spatially and temporally. Surveys on vertical substrate stratification significantly affected both density and shell size with increasing sediment depth. Additionally, in contrast to the hypothesis formed on the basis of traditional knowledge that juvenile distribution is limited to the dunes and upper intertidal, spat appeared to have far more varied littoral distributions than previously theorised. The data from these surveys were used to make estimates of the total juvenile population on Ripiro Beach with attention to changes spatially (habitat type), temporally (seasonally), and by size cohorts (mm). My results indicated that toheroa populations are not recruit-limited. Estimates for the total February population ranged between 580 (±190) million and 650 (±200) million. By May, large abundance losses (> 90%) dropped the estimated population to between 30 (±15) million and 37 (±17) million, indicating significant bottleneck mortality during the early growth stages. However, the high abundances of small spat (< 5 mm) indicate that toheroa aquaculture is potentially viable. In aid of future aquaculture applications, I investigated how handling, harvesting, and different transportation methods could impact toheroa health, survival, or performance. This experiment aimed to mimic real-world applications wherein juvenile spat would be harvested and ongrown in hatcheries. To do this, I utilised the burrowing behaviour of juvenile toheroa as a quantitative indicator of stress. I found that if appropriate storage methods were implemented, initial handling and harvesting had a greater impact than actual transportation.

The research in this thesis demonstrated that populations do not appear to be recruit-limited. Furthermore, the findings indicate that aquaculture built on the foundation of wild-harvested juveniles is potentially viable. However, further research is required in order to quantify potential annual recruitment variation both spatially and temporally. Additionally, in order to establish a conservation approach, we must first define the niche requirements of toheroa to determine the obstacle (or obstacles) inhibiting recovery.

text: The recruitment dynamics of post-settlement juvenile toheroa and the potential applications for aquaculture Managing the recovery of threatened species due to anthropogenic disturbance is one of the most challenging problems in ecological monitoring. Researching species ecology is vital to help us improve ecosystem health and subsequently develop better management strategies in the environment. Humanity is entirely reliant on ecosystem services for food security. With the world population expected to reach ten billion by 2050, there is a growing need for more sustainable food sources. With the exploitation of many environmental resources worldwide, aquaculture has been championed as a sustainable option for future seafood production. In New Zealand, the toheroa (Paphies ventricosa) has been identified as a potentially valuable asset to the aquaculture industry and for possible conservation strategies via the implementation of reseeding populations with hatchery-reared spat.

Toheroa faced inadequate resource management and exploitation in the 1900s which ultimately led to the closure of an important recreational, cultural and commercial fishery. However, toheroa populations have failed to recover despite over 40 years of protection. It has been proposed that the continued decline of toheroa populations is not due to a lack of juvenile recruitment. Very little is known about juvenile toheroa recruitment, and there is no available information that could facilitate restoration management or determine the appropriate action to take for monitoring juvenile populations. From both a conservation and an aquaculture perspective, understanding the underlying ecology will be pivotal for future endeavours.

My thesis aimed to investigate the distribution dynamics of post-settlement juvenile toheroa on Ripiro Beach and the potential applications for aquaculture. Population surveys were conducted on Ripiro Beach in February and May to establish a sampling methodology that accurately captures the juvenile population both spatially and temporally. Surveys on vertical substrate stratification significantly affected both density and shell size with increasing sediment depth. Additionally, in contrast to the hypothesis formed on the basis of traditional knowledge that juvenile distribution is limited to the dunes and upper intertidal, spat appeared to have far more varied littoral distributions than previously theorised. The data from these surveys were used to make estimates of the total juvenile population on Ripiro Beach with attention to changes spatially (habitat type), temporally (seasonally), and by size cohorts (mm). My results indicated that toheroa populations are not recruit-limited. Estimates for the total February population ranged between 580 (±190) million and 650 (±200) million. By May, large abundance losses (> 90%) dropped the estimated population to between 30 (±15) million and 37 (±17) million, indicating significant bottleneck mortality during the early growth stages. However, the high abundances of small spat (< 5 mm) indicate that toheroa aquaculture is potentially viable. In aid of future aquaculture applications, I investigated how handling, harvesting, and different transportation methods could impact toheroa health, survival, or performance. This experiment aimed to mimic real-world applications wherein juvenile spat would be harvested and ongrown in hatcheries. To do this, I utilised the burrowing behaviour of juvenile toheroa as a quantitative indicator of stress. I found that if appropriate storage methods were implemented, initial handling and harvesting had a greater impact than actual transportation.

The research in this thesis demonstrated that populations do not appear to be recruit-limited. Furthermore, the findings indicate that aquaculture built on the foundation of wild-harvested juveniles is potentially viable. However, further research is required in order to quantify potential annual recruitment variation both spatially and temporally. Additionally, in order to establish a conservation approach, we must first define the niche requirements of toheroa to determine the obstacle (or obstacles) inhibiting recovery.

year: 2022