title: 2021 NSCBI Paakehaa/Tauiwi Caucus Conference Session and Future Directions

authors: Graham, Rebekah Sarah

abstract: The National Standing Committee on Bicultural Issues (NSCBI) celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Annual NZPsS Conference, held virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Paakehaa/Tauiwi caucus discussed the NSCBI’s core values, focusing on how to uphold and connect with each value, such as protecting values passed down by tūpuna and promoting a vision of the future. Anti-racism education was presented, emphasizing the journey from the “Fear Zone” to the “Learning Zone” and into the “Growth Zone” as a tool for self-assessment. Reflections on supporting and challenging each other to make psychological practice actively anti-racist concluded the session. Key takeaways included the discomfort of staying silent, the importance of learning and trying, and being a bridge for others on their anti-racist journey. The participants agreed on the usefulness of the discussion and expressed a commitment to organizing more regular online events focusing on anti-racism and anti-racist practice. The NSCBI Paakehaa/Tauiwi aims for 2021-2022 include strategically highlighting contributions to hostile working environments, developing relationships with anti-racism groups, promoting Māori psychologies, and facilitating online conversations, webinars, and discussions on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and biculturalism. The group also plans to develop training material and professional development for practitioners. The NSCBI acknowledges the ongoing progress in understanding racism and fostering openness among Paakehaa/Tauiwi in engaging with bicultural practices. Those interested in NSCBI events or contributing to their organization and promotion can visit the NZPsS Events page.

text: 2021 NSCBI Paakehaa/Tauiwi Caucus Conference Session and Future Directions The National Standing Committee on Bicultural Issues (NSCBI) celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Annual NZPsS Conference, held virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Paakehaa/Tauiwi caucus discussed the NSCBI’s core values, focusing on how to uphold and connect with each value, such as protecting values passed down by tūpuna and promoting a vision of the future. Anti-racism education was presented, emphasizing the journey from the “Fear Zone” to the “Learning Zone” and into the “Growth Zone” as a tool for self-assessment. Reflections on supporting and challenging each other to make psychological practice actively anti-racist concluded the session. Key takeaways included the discomfort of staying silent, the importance of learning and trying, and being a bridge for others on their anti-racist journey. The participants agreed on the usefulness of the discussion and expressed a commitment to organizing more regular online events focusing on anti-racism and anti-racist practice. The NSCBI Paakehaa/Tauiwi aims for 2021-2022 include strategically highlighting contributions to hostile working environments, developing relationships with anti-racism groups, promoting Māori psychologies, and facilitating online conversations, webinars, and discussions on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and biculturalism. The group also plans to develop training material and professional development for practitioners. The NSCBI acknowledges the ongoing progress in understanding racism and fostering openness among Paakehaa/Tauiwi in engaging with bicultural practices. Those interested in NSCBI events or contributing to their organization and promotion can visit the NZPsS Events page.

year: 2021-11

title: Whakapiki Wairua: Co-designing and implementing a Māori mindfulness mental health intervention in a Wharekura.

authors: McDonald, Marama

abstract: This article explores the process of co-designing a mātauranga-Māori-informed mindfulness intervention with rangatahi in a wharekura and examines the effects on wellbeing. Mahitahi co-design methodology underpinned the design, implementation and evaluation of the intervention, and quantitative psychological tests measured improvements in wellbeing and dispositional mindfulness. Findings showed positive indications for a decrease in levels of psychological distress, improvements in Māori quality of life domains, and higher levels of dispositional mindfulness. The effective mātaurangaMāori-informed wellbeing components of the intervention were he āhuru mōwai, mahi a ngā tīpuna, ngā kaitiaki, te taiao, whanaungatanga, and hohou te rongo. Future application of the intervention in mainstream schools and communities is needed to assess the efficacy of the intervention for rangatahi in other environments, the sustainability of mindfulness practice for rangatahi, and the long-term effects on wellbeing.

text: Whakapiki Wairua: Co-designing and implementing a Māori mindfulness mental health intervention in a Wharekura. This article explores the process of co-designing a mātauranga-Māori-informed mindfulness intervention with rangatahi in a wharekura and examines the effects on wellbeing. Mahitahi co-design methodology underpinned the design, implementation and evaluation of the intervention, and quantitative psychological tests measured improvements in wellbeing and dispositional mindfulness. Findings showed positive indications for a decrease in levels of psychological distress, improvements in Māori quality of life domains, and higher levels of dispositional mindfulness. The effective mātaurangaMāori-informed wellbeing components of the intervention were he āhuru mōwai, mahi a ngā tīpuna, ngā kaitiaki, te taiao, whanaungatanga, and hohou te rongo. Future application of the intervention in mainstream schools and communities is needed to assess the efficacy of the intervention for rangatahi in other environments, the sustainability of mindfulness practice for rangatahi, and the long-term effects on wellbeing.

year: 2021

title: Vascular performance of woody plants in a temperate rain forest: lianas suffer higher levels of freeze-thaw embolism than associated trees

authors: Jiménez-Castillo, Mylthon

subjects: liana distribution

abstract: The success of lianas in tropical rain forests has been linked to their wide xylem vessels that confer much higher hydraulic conductivity than tropical trees. In contrast, the poorer representation of lianas in temperate forests and high elevations might reflect lower competitiveness there, because of the vulnerability of high-performance xylem to freeze–thaw embolism. Nevertheless, the empirical evidence that support this idea is surprisingly scarce.
We assessed this hypothesis comparing the hydraulic performance of five lianas and nine trees coexisting in cold weather, by measuring wood traits, hydraulic conductivity, xylem embolism and root pressures.
Vessel diameters of lianas were on average twice those of trees (51·3 vs. 23·2 μm), resulting in an 18-fold difference in mean specific hydraulic conductivity (15·5 vs. 1·05 kg s−1 m−1 MPa−1). Lianas on average suffered higher levels of freeze–thaw embolism than trees (29·9 vs. 12·8%), reducing their potential hydraulically supported competitive advantage; however, partially embolized lianas still had greater water transport capacity than trees.
Specific hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was well correlated with vessel size in lianas but not in trees; however, plants with big vessels were more vulnerable to freeze embolism. Although all species of lianas developed root pressures and these tended to be higher than trees, root pressure were insufficient to repair embolism in plants > c. 7 m tall. The magnitudes of root pressure were well correlated with vessel size in lianas, but this relationship was not observed in trees.
Synthesis: Our results show empirical evidence that hydraulic performance of temperate lianas exceed the performance of coexisting trees, in similar magnitude than its tropical counterparts. Nevertheless, this hydraulic advantage is reduced as a consequence of freeze embolism. Temperate lianas appear to employ a bet-hedging strategy entailing significant embolism in winter, but likely enabling rapid carbon gain during frost-free periods. Loss of winter carbon gain opportunities because of embolism may explain the low success of lianas in temperate rain forest. However, predicted future climatic scenarios could are likely to increase liana abundance in mid-latitudes and allow lianas to expand their ranges towards higher latitudes and elevations.

text: Vascular performance of woody plants in a temperate rain forest: lianas suffer higher levels of freeze-thaw embolism than associated trees The success of lianas in tropical rain forests has been linked to their wide xylem vessels that confer much higher hydraulic conductivity than tropical trees. In contrast, the poorer representation of lianas in temperate forests and high elevations might reflect lower competitiveness there, because of the vulnerability of high-performance xylem to freeze–thaw embolism. Nevertheless, the empirical evidence that support this idea is surprisingly scarce.
We assessed this hypothesis comparing the hydraulic performance of five lianas and nine trees coexisting in cold weather, by measuring wood traits, hydraulic conductivity, xylem embolism and root pressures.
Vessel diameters of lianas were on average twice those of trees (51·3 vs. 23·2 μm), resulting in an 18-fold difference in mean specific hydraulic conductivity (15·5 vs. 1·05 kg s−1 m−1 MPa−1). Lianas on average suffered higher levels of freeze–thaw embolism than trees (29·9 vs. 12·8%), reducing their potential hydraulically supported competitive advantage; however, partially embolized lianas still had greater water transport capacity than trees.
Specific hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was well correlated with vessel size in lianas but not in trees; however, plants with big vessels were more vulnerable to freeze embolism. Although all species of lianas developed root pressures and these tended to be higher than trees, root pressure were insufficient to repair embolism in plants > c. 7 m tall. The magnitudes of root pressure were well correlated with vessel size in lianas, but this relationship was not observed in trees.
Synthesis: Our results show empirical evidence that hydraulic performance of temperate lianas exceed the performance of coexisting trees, in similar magnitude than its tropical counterparts. Nevertheless, this hydraulic advantage is reduced as a consequence of freeze embolism. Temperate lianas appear to employ a bet-hedging strategy entailing significant embolism in winter, but likely enabling rapid carbon gain during frost-free periods. Loss of winter carbon gain opportunities because of embolism may explain the low success of lianas in temperate rain forest. However, predicted future climatic scenarios could are likely to increase liana abundance in mid-latitudes and allow lianas to expand their ranges towards higher latitudes and elevations.

year: 2013