title: Barriers to possessing gender-concordant identity documents are associated with transgender and nonbinary people's mental health in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

authors: Tan, Kyle K. H.

subjects: legal gender marker

abstract: Purpose: This study sought to expand on previous scholarship focused on gender-concordant identity documents (IDs) as a social determinant of health. We examined the association between barriers to legal gender recognition and the mental health of transgender and nonbinary people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Methods: We used data from a 2018 nationwide community-based survey of trans and nonbinary people in Aotearoa (N = 818). Variables of investigation included: gender-concordant IDs, mental health (past-month psychological distress, past-year nonsuicidal self-injury, past-year suicidality) and barriers to changing gender markers on a birth certificate or passport. Associations between gender-concordant IDs and mental health were determined using generalized linear regression models. Results: In total, 34.8% reported the correct name on all of their IDs. The proportion with the correct gender marker on both birth certificates and passports was 16.0%. Participants with gender-concordant IDs were more likely to be older, have higher levels of income and education, and have had genital reconstruction. In addition, 68.7% of participants reported experiencing at least one barrier to changing gender markers on their IDs, and these participants had significantly higher average points of psychological distress scores (b = 2.39) and greater odds of suicidal ideation (odds ratio = 2.02) than those with gender-concordant IDs, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Conclusion: We present novel findings on higher levels of mental health problems among trans and nonbinary people who faced barriers in trying to obtain gender-concordant IDs compared with those with gender-concordant IDs. Removing barriers to legal gender recognition may be an effective way to improve mental health.

text: Barriers to possessing gender-concordant identity documents are associated with transgender and nonbinary people's mental health in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Purpose: This study sought to expand on previous scholarship focused on gender-concordant identity documents (IDs) as a social determinant of health. We examined the association between barriers to legal gender recognition and the mental health of transgender and nonbinary people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Methods: We used data from a 2018 nationwide community-based survey of trans and nonbinary people in Aotearoa (N = 818). Variables of investigation included: gender-concordant IDs, mental health (past-month psychological distress, past-year nonsuicidal self-injury, past-year suicidality) and barriers to changing gender markers on a birth certificate or passport. Associations between gender-concordant IDs and mental health were determined using generalized linear regression models. Results: In total, 34.8% reported the correct name on all of their IDs. The proportion with the correct gender marker on both birth certificates and passports was 16.0%. Participants with gender-concordant IDs were more likely to be older, have higher levels of income and education, and have had genital reconstruction. In addition, 68.7% of participants reported experiencing at least one barrier to changing gender markers on their IDs, and these participants had significantly higher average points of psychological distress scores (b = 2.39) and greater odds of suicidal ideation (odds ratio = 2.02) than those with gender-concordant IDs, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Conclusion: We present novel findings on higher levels of mental health problems among trans and nonbinary people who faced barriers in trying to obtain gender-concordant IDs compared with those with gender-concordant IDs. Removing barriers to legal gender recognition may be an effective way to improve mental health.

year: 2022-05-23

title: High-Resolution Speleothem-Based Palaeoclimate Records From New Zealand Reveal Robust Teleconnection To North Atlantic During MIS 1-4

authors: Whittaker, Thomas Edward

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: Growth rates, δ18O and δ13C of five stalagmites from the west coasts of North and South Islands, New Zealand, provide records of millennial-scale climate variability over the last ~75 kyr. Thirty-five uranium-series ages were used to provide the chronology. δ18O of stalagmite calcite was influenced by changes in moisture source region, temperature and both δ18O and δ13C primarily display a negative relationship with rainfall. To assist interpretation of climatic signals δ18O profiles were adjusted for the ice-volume effect. Changes in these proxies reflect changes in the strength of the circumpolar westerly circulation and the frequency of southwesterly flow across New Zealand.
MIS 4 was a period of wet and cool climate lasting from 67.7 to 61.3 kyr B.P., expressed in the stalagmites by an interval of strongly negative isotope ratios and increased growth rate. This contrasts with less negative δ18O and δ13C, and slow growth, interpreted as dry and cold climate, during much of MIS 2. This difference between MIS 2 and MIS 4 provides an explanation for why glacial moraines in the Southern Alps of MIS 4 age lie beyond those deposited during the last glacial maximum (MIS 2).
Heinrich events, with the exception of H0 (the Younger Dryas), are interpreted from high-resolution South Island stalagmite HW05-3, from Hollywood Cave, West Coast, as times of wetter and cooler climate. Minima in δ18O and δ13C (wet periods) occurred at 67.7-61.0, 56-55, 50.5-47.5, 40-39, 30.5-29, 25.5-24.3 and 16.1-15. kyr B.P. matching Heinrich events H6-H1 (including H5a) respectively. This demonstrates a robust teleconnection between events in the North Atlantic and New Zealand climate. Minima in δ18O also occurred at similar times in less well-dated North Island stalagmite RK05-3 from Ruakuri Cave, Waitomo.  Speleothems from low-latitudes have revealed that Heinrich events forced southerly displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. This caused steepening of the temperature gradient across mid-southern latitudes, increased westerly circulation and resulted in wet conditions on the west coast of both islands.
Immediately following H1 in the HW05-3 stable isotope profiles is another excursion to more negative isotopic values, suggesting wet and cold climate, lasting from 14.6 to 13.0 kyr B.P. Such a climate on the West Coast at this time has been previously suggested from glacier advance (e.g. Waiho Loop moraine) and decreased abundance of tall trees on the landscape. This event occurred too early to be a response to H0, but is synchronous with a return to cool climate in Antarctica. Thus West Coast climate appears to have been sensitive to changes in Antarctica as well as the North Atlantic.
Isotopic minima (wet and cool climate) in South Island stalagmite GT05-5, which formed during the Holocene, first occurred 4.6 kyr B.P. This began a series of four oscillations in isotope ratios, the last terminating when the stalagmite was collected (2006). Onset of these oscillations is associated with initiation of ice advance in the Southern Alps, and beginning of the Neoglacial. The last oscillation displays enriched isotope ratios lasting from 1.2 to 0.8 kyr B.P. succeeded by depleted ratios lasting until 0.15 kyr B.P., mirroring the Medieval Climate Optimum and Little Ice Age, respectively, of European palaeoclimate records.

text: High-Resolution Speleothem-Based Palaeoclimate Records From New Zealand Reveal Robust Teleconnection To North Atlantic During MIS 1-4 Growth rates, δ18O and δ13C of five stalagmites from the west coasts of North and South Islands, New Zealand, provide records of millennial-scale climate variability over the last ~75 kyr. Thirty-five uranium-series ages were used to provide the chronology. δ18O of stalagmite calcite was influenced by changes in moisture source region, temperature and both δ18O and δ13C primarily display a negative relationship with rainfall. To assist interpretation of climatic signals δ18O profiles were adjusted for the ice-volume effect. Changes in these proxies reflect changes in the strength of the circumpolar westerly circulation and the frequency of southwesterly flow across New Zealand.
MIS 4 was a period of wet and cool climate lasting from 67.7 to 61.3 kyr B.P., expressed in the stalagmites by an interval of strongly negative isotope ratios and increased growth rate. This contrasts with less negative δ18O and δ13C, and slow growth, interpreted as dry and cold climate, during much of MIS 2. This difference between MIS 2 and MIS 4 provides an explanation for why glacial moraines in the Southern Alps of MIS 4 age lie beyond those deposited during the last glacial maximum (MIS 2).
Heinrich events, with the exception of H0 (the Younger Dryas), are interpreted from high-resolution South Island stalagmite HW05-3, from Hollywood Cave, West Coast, as times of wetter and cooler climate. Minima in δ18O and δ13C (wet periods) occurred at 67.7-61.0, 56-55, 50.5-47.5, 40-39, 30.5-29, 25.5-24.3 and 16.1-15. kyr B.P. matching Heinrich events H6-H1 (including H5a) respectively. This demonstrates a robust teleconnection between events in the North Atlantic and New Zealand climate. Minima in δ18O also occurred at similar times in less well-dated North Island stalagmite RK05-3 from Ruakuri Cave, Waitomo.  Speleothems from low-latitudes have revealed that Heinrich events forced southerly displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. This caused steepening of the temperature gradient across mid-southern latitudes, increased westerly circulation and resulted in wet conditions on the west coast of both islands.
Immediately following H1 in the HW05-3 stable isotope profiles is another excursion to more negative isotopic values, suggesting wet and cold climate, lasting from 14.6 to 13.0 kyr B.P. Such a climate on the West Coast at this time has been previously suggested from glacier advance (e.g. Waiho Loop moraine) and decreased abundance of tall trees on the landscape. This event occurred too early to be a response to H0, but is synchronous with a return to cool climate in Antarctica. Thus West Coast climate appears to have been sensitive to changes in Antarctica as well as the North Atlantic.
Isotopic minima (wet and cool climate) in South Island stalagmite GT05-5, which formed during the Holocene, first occurred 4.6 kyr B.P. This began a series of four oscillations in isotope ratios, the last terminating when the stalagmite was collected (2006). Onset of these oscillations is associated with initiation of ice advance in the Southern Alps, and beginning of the Neoglacial. The last oscillation displays enriched isotope ratios lasting from 1.2 to 0.8 kyr B.P. succeeded by depleted ratios lasting until 0.15 kyr B.P., mirroring the Medieval Climate Optimum and Little Ice Age, respectively, of European palaeoclimate records.

year: 2008

title: Evaluation of land in Wairoa District for potential horticultural development

authors: Rau, Johnathon Taukiri

subjects: land suitability

abstract: The Wairoa District, on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand has less horticultural development than areas to the north and south. The objective of this study was to provide information to help inform landowners who may wish to invest in horticulture which could improve the economic situation of the district.
Field work involving local scale climate mapping and soil characterisation of areas with potential for horticulture in Wairoa District was completed in 2017. Constructed climate and topographical maps with existing soil maps were evaluated against known crop growth requirements to produce crop potential maps identifying areas with potential for crop production. Horticultural crops included in this study include kiwifruit, apples, cherries. Alternative crops include hemp and poppies.
Between mid-April – 31 October 2017, 45 portable iButton temperature loggers were deployed throughout Land Use Capability classes 1-3 in the Wairoa District and were set to record hourly temperature. When regressed against nearby climate stations, long term (18 -26 years) temperature datasets were derived from the short term iButton datasets. MODIS satellite images were also analysed to help identify areas prone to frost. From the long-term datasets local scale chill hour, growing degree days and October frost risk maps were constructed for the Wairoa District. For the central area from Wairoa to Frasertown, chill hours were estimated to range between 600 – 900, growing degree days 1300 – 1400 and October frost risk less than 25%.
From four representative soil types, horizon samples were taken to determine the soils physical properties including each horizons Total Available Water Holding Capacity (TAWHC). Horizon TAWHC for each soil type were summed to give TAWHC to 1 meter which along with 21 years of estimated daily rainfall and potential evapotranspiration were used in a soil water balance model to estimate seasonal crop irrigation requirements. Irrigation estimates for kiwifruit compared well against published values ranging between mean 204 – 247 mm.
The crop potential maps with seasonal crop irrigation estimates can enhance a land owner’s ability to make informed decisions resulting in economic benefit to whanau, community and the Wairoa District.

text: Evaluation of land in Wairoa District for potential horticultural development The Wairoa District, on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand has less horticultural development than areas to the north and south. The objective of this study was to provide information to help inform landowners who may wish to invest in horticulture which could improve the economic situation of the district.
Field work involving local scale climate mapping and soil characterisation of areas with potential for horticulture in Wairoa District was completed in 2017. Constructed climate and topographical maps with existing soil maps were evaluated against known crop growth requirements to produce crop potential maps identifying areas with potential for crop production. Horticultural crops included in this study include kiwifruit, apples, cherries. Alternative crops include hemp and poppies.
Between mid-April – 31 October 2017, 45 portable iButton temperature loggers were deployed throughout Land Use Capability classes 1-3 in the Wairoa District and were set to record hourly temperature. When regressed against nearby climate stations, long term (18 -26 years) temperature datasets were derived from the short term iButton datasets. MODIS satellite images were also analysed to help identify areas prone to frost. From the long-term datasets local scale chill hour, growing degree days and October frost risk maps were constructed for the Wairoa District. For the central area from Wairoa to Frasertown, chill hours were estimated to range between 600 – 900, growing degree days 1300 – 1400 and October frost risk less than 25%.
From four representative soil types, horizon samples were taken to determine the soils physical properties including each horizons Total Available Water Holding Capacity (TAWHC). Horizon TAWHC for each soil type were summed to give TAWHC to 1 meter which along with 21 years of estimated daily rainfall and potential evapotranspiration were used in a soil water balance model to estimate seasonal crop irrigation requirements. Irrigation estimates for kiwifruit compared well against published values ranging between mean 204 – 247 mm.
The crop potential maps with seasonal crop irrigation estimates can enhance a land owner’s ability to make informed decisions resulting in economic benefit to whanau, community and the Wairoa District.

year: 2018