title: Using green infrastructure as a social equity approach to reduce flood risks and address climate change impacts: A comparison of performance between cities and towns

authors: Reu Junqueira, Juliana

abstract: Green infrastructure is a promising strategy aiming to address climate change impacts and associated flood risks, as well as bringing social equity benefits such as increased access to greenspace in urban areas. However, not only does it take up valuable development space, but the effectiveness of differing green infrastructure types in alleviating extreme rainfall impacts is unclear. This paper develops and tests scenarios linking various rainfall intensities (historical, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), types of green infrastructure (bio-retention cells, permeable pavement and rain gardens), and different spatial distributions (5 % and 10 % of the sub-catchment area) to investigate the extent to which green infrastructure can most effectively minimise flood risks while providing targeted equity benefits. Findings indicate that the implementation of 10 % of green infrastructure could reduce runoff peak rate and total runoff volume around 50–75 % at the sub-catchment scale. The paper provides two contributions. First, we develop and test a methodological approach that is able to link green infrastructure to climate and spatial futures. Second, we demonstrate which types of green infrastructure, and in which combinations, can most effectively reduce the impact of extreme weather events. Findings suggest that the strategic implementation of small green infrastructure areas can be hugely effective, particularly if multiple measures are combined.

text: Using green infrastructure as a social equity approach to reduce flood risks and address climate change impacts: A comparison of performance between cities and towns Green infrastructure is a promising strategy aiming to address climate change impacts and associated flood risks, as well as bringing social equity benefits such as increased access to greenspace in urban areas. However, not only does it take up valuable development space, but the effectiveness of differing green infrastructure types in alleviating extreme rainfall impacts is unclear. This paper develops and tests scenarios linking various rainfall intensities (historical, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), types of green infrastructure (bio-retention cells, permeable pavement and rain gardens), and different spatial distributions (5 % and 10 % of the sub-catchment area) to investigate the extent to which green infrastructure can most effectively minimise flood risks while providing targeted equity benefits. Findings indicate that the implementation of 10 % of green infrastructure could reduce runoff peak rate and total runoff volume around 50–75 % at the sub-catchment scale. The paper provides two contributions. First, we develop and test a methodological approach that is able to link green infrastructure to climate and spatial futures. Second, we demonstrate which types of green infrastructure, and in which combinations, can most effectively reduce the impact of extreme weather events. Findings suggest that the strategic implementation of small green infrastructure areas can be hugely effective, particularly if multiple measures are combined.

year: 2022

title: Hypolithic communities: important nitrogen sources in Antarctic desert soils

authors: Cowan, Don A.

subjects: hypolithic microbial communities

abstract: Hypolithic microbial communities (i.e. cryptic microbial assemblages found on the undersides of translucent rocks) are major contributors of carbon input into the oligotrophic hyper-arid desert mineral soils of the Eastern Antarctic Dry Valleys. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that hypolithic microbial communities possess both the genetic capacity for nitrogen fixation (i.e. the presence of nifH genes) and the ability to catalyse acetylene reduction, an accepted proxy for dinitrogen fixation. An estimate of the total contribution of these communities suggests that hypolithic communities are important contributors to fixed nitrogen budgets in Antarctic desert soils.

text: Hypolithic communities: important nitrogen sources in Antarctic desert soils Hypolithic microbial communities (i.e. cryptic microbial assemblages found on the undersides of translucent rocks) are major contributors of carbon input into the oligotrophic hyper-arid desert mineral soils of the Eastern Antarctic Dry Valleys. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that hypolithic microbial communities possess both the genetic capacity for nitrogen fixation (i.e. the presence of nifH genes) and the ability to catalyse acetylene reduction, an accepted proxy for dinitrogen fixation. An estimate of the total contribution of these communities suggests that hypolithic communities are important contributors to fixed nitrogen budgets in Antarctic desert soils.

year: 2011

title: The centrality of relationships for pedagogy: The Whanaungatanga Thesis

authors: Bishop, Russell

subjects: addressing educational disparities

abstract: Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development project that seeks to reduce educational disparities between indigenous Māori students and their non-Māori peers in New Zealand secondary schools. While evidence of the impact of the project on teachers’ practice and the associated gains made by Māori students has been published previously, in order for the work of Te Kotahitanga to contribute to the broader educational research community, its pedagogical premises require empirical verification. To do so, we must first establish the validity of the pedagogical data by addressing two questions: (a) To what degree can the data gathered in the collaborative processes of Te Kotahitanga be used as a measure of pedagogical quality? and (b) Do these data support the foundational hypothesis of the project, that “extended family” relationships, as understood by Māori people when using the Māori term, whanaungatanga, are a central necessary component of overall pedagogical quality? This article provides an account of the context of this work then presents an analysis directed to these questions in turn. First, our analysis of the observational data gathered during the Te Kotahitanga professional development process is presented, followed by the measures that were developed for each of the main dimensions of pedagogy addressed in this work. Second, using these measures we present our analysis of the inter-relation among these dimensions of pedagogy to test the Whanaungatanga pedagogical thesis.

text: The centrality of relationships for pedagogy: The Whanaungatanga Thesis Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development project that seeks to reduce educational disparities between indigenous Māori students and their non-Māori peers in New Zealand secondary schools. While evidence of the impact of the project on teachers’ practice and the associated gains made by Māori students has been published previously, in order for the work of Te Kotahitanga to contribute to the broader educational research community, its pedagogical premises require empirical verification. To do so, we must first establish the validity of the pedagogical data by addressing two questions: (a) To what degree can the data gathered in the collaborative processes of Te Kotahitanga be used as a measure of pedagogical quality? and (b) Do these data support the foundational hypothesis of the project, that “extended family” relationships, as understood by Māori people when using the Māori term, whanaungatanga, are a central necessary component of overall pedagogical quality? This article provides an account of the context of this work then presents an analysis directed to these questions in turn. First, our analysis of the observational data gathered during the Te Kotahitanga professional development process is presented, followed by the measures that were developed for each of the main dimensions of pedagogy addressed in this work. Second, using these measures we present our analysis of the inter-relation among these dimensions of pedagogy to test the Whanaungatanga pedagogical thesis.

year: 2013