title: Ten New Insights in Climate Science 2023/2024

authors: Bustamante, Mercedes

abstract: Non-technical summary:
We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems.
Technical summary:
The IPCC Assessment Reports offer the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and constitute an unmatched resource for climate change researchers. However, the assessment cycles take multiple years. As a contribution to cross- and interdisciplinary understanding across diverse climate change research communities, we have streamlined an annual process to identify and synthesise essential research advances. We collected input from experts on different fields using an online questionnaire and prioritised a set of ten key research insights with high policy relevance. This year we focus on: (1) looming overshoot of the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgency of phasing-out fossil fuels, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future of natural carbon sinks, (5) need for join governance of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) advances in the science of compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. We first present a succinct account of these Insights, reflect on their policy implications, and offer an integrated set of policy relevant messages. This science synthesis and science communication effort is also the basis for a report targeted to policymakers as a contribution to elevate climate science every year, in time for the UNFCCC COP.
Social media summary:
We highlight recent and policy-relevant advances in climate change research - with input from more than 200 experts.

text: Ten New Insights in Climate Science 2023/2024 Non-technical summary:
We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems.
Technical summary:
The IPCC Assessment Reports offer the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and constitute an unmatched resource for climate change researchers. However, the assessment cycles take multiple years. As a contribution to cross- and interdisciplinary understanding across diverse climate change research communities, we have streamlined an annual process to identify and synthesise essential research advances. We collected input from experts on different fields using an online questionnaire and prioritised a set of ten key research insights with high policy relevance. This year we focus on: (1) looming overshoot of the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgency of phasing-out fossil fuels, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future of natural carbon sinks, (5) need for join governance of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) advances in the science of compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. We first present a succinct account of these Insights, reflect on their policy implications, and offer an integrated set of policy relevant messages. This science synthesis and science communication effort is also the basis for a report targeted to policymakers as a contribution to elevate climate science every year, in time for the UNFCCC COP.
Social media summary:
We highlight recent and policy-relevant advances in climate change research - with input from more than 200 experts.

year: 2023

title: Collaborative and Social Interaction within Groups of Patrons in Academic and Public Libraries: Implications for Digital Libraries

authors: Alqurashi, Hayat

subjects: collaborative information behaviour

abstract: This Master’s thesis investigates patrons’ information-seeking behaviour in physical libraries. Information available to meet patron’s information needs, and constraints that limit the use of this information have been examined by a number of researchers in the last few years. However, there is a dearth of literature on the information-seeking processes, including the act of selecting books from shelves, and the kind of social interaction that may occur between patrons attending the library in groups. To address this gap we identified in the literature, this thesis used a qualitative method to investigate the behaviour of patrons when visiting libraries, and the way patrons within groups treat each other from the time they enter the library until they leave. 83 groups were observed in both public and academic libraries, totalling 217 participants. The observations and analysis of the study results increase our understanding of collaborative behaviour, group characteristics and other influential factors, such as location, time, physical environment, ambience and layout of the library. Our study also compared the findings with some previous work on similar concepts. Most findings highlight possible implications of social and book interaction in digital libraries, and emphasise the need to support more group collaboration among users of Digital Libraries, without limitations of shared time or location.

text: Collaborative and Social Interaction within Groups of Patrons in Academic and Public Libraries: Implications for Digital Libraries This Master’s thesis investigates patrons’ information-seeking behaviour in physical libraries. Information available to meet patron’s information needs, and constraints that limit the use of this information have been examined by a number of researchers in the last few years. However, there is a dearth of literature on the information-seeking processes, including the act of selecting books from shelves, and the kind of social interaction that may occur between patrons attending the library in groups. To address this gap we identified in the literature, this thesis used a qualitative method to investigate the behaviour of patrons when visiting libraries, and the way patrons within groups treat each other from the time they enter the library until they leave. 83 groups were observed in both public and academic libraries, totalling 217 participants. The observations and analysis of the study results increase our understanding of collaborative behaviour, group characteristics and other influential factors, such as location, time, physical environment, ambience and layout of the library. Our study also compared the findings with some previous work on similar concepts. Most findings highlight possible implications of social and book interaction in digital libraries, and emphasise the need to support more group collaboration among users of Digital Libraries, without limitations of shared time or location.

year: 2014

title: Assessment of fish populations in Lake Horowhenua, Levin

authors: Tempero, Grant Wayne

subjects: Lake Horowhenua

abstract: Lake Horowhenua (Waipunahau) is of substantial historical, cultural and recreational value to the people of the Horowhenua region. However, water quality and biodiversity within the lake has been in decline for a number of years. As part of lake restoration efforts by Horizons Regional Council and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees, a survey of fish species in Lake Horowhenua was conducted by the University of Waikato using boat electrofishing and fyke netting. A lake restoration plan had previously identified invasive fish species such as koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as being potential barriers to rehabilitation of the lake. The purpose of this survey was to determine the abundance and diversity of fish species within the lake and to ascertain if pest fish species were present at biomasses high enough to be negatively impacting on lake ecology. Recommendations would then be made as to the potential methods and necessity for pest fish removal.

text: Assessment of fish populations in Lake Horowhenua, Levin Lake Horowhenua (Waipunahau) is of substantial historical, cultural and recreational value to the people of the Horowhenua region. However, water quality and biodiversity within the lake has been in decline for a number of years. As part of lake restoration efforts by Horizons Regional Council and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees, a survey of fish species in Lake Horowhenua was conducted by the University of Waikato using boat electrofishing and fyke netting. A lake restoration plan had previously identified invasive fish species such as koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as being potential barriers to rehabilitation of the lake. The purpose of this survey was to determine the abundance and diversity of fish species within the lake and to ascertain if pest fish species were present at biomasses high enough to be negatively impacting on lake ecology. Recommendations would then be made as to the potential methods and necessity for pest fish removal.

year: 2013