title: The plant ecology of Miranda wetland: Restoration options

authors: Strahan, Dougal Clyde

abstract: Wetlands are increasingly recognised and valued. Communities are accepting the challenges of restoring these severely degraded ecosystems. This study discusses the problems and opportunities associated with restoring Miranda wetland, that forms part of the Firth of Thames, and is an internationally recognised wetland area.

A review of wetland restoration emphasises the unique characteristics and interacting factors operating in wetland ecosystems. Sound planning including specific objective setting and vegetation communities were surveyed for composition, distribution and structure. Basic environmental factors were measured monthly to form community type characteristics and assist in delineating habitat boundaries.

Impacts affecting native vegetation types are assessed and specific attention is given to the control of Carex divisa including tests on salinity tolerance to identify potential competitor species. Restoration options include revegetation, continued grazing, and returning the original hydrology.

text: The plant ecology of Miranda wetland: Restoration options Wetlands are increasingly recognised and valued. Communities are accepting the challenges of restoring these severely degraded ecosystems. This study discusses the problems and opportunities associated with restoring Miranda wetland, that forms part of the Firth of Thames, and is an internationally recognised wetland area.

A review of wetland restoration emphasises the unique characteristics and interacting factors operating in wetland ecosystems. Sound planning including specific objective setting and vegetation communities were surveyed for composition, distribution and structure. Basic environmental factors were measured monthly to form community type characteristics and assist in delineating habitat boundaries.

Impacts affecting native vegetation types are assessed and specific attention is given to the control of Carex divisa including tests on salinity tolerance to identify potential competitor species. Restoration options include revegetation, continued grazing, and returning the original hydrology.

year: 1997

title: Psychological Climate, Work Engagement, Intention to Leave and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour in Small Hospitality Businesses.

authors: Strydom, Ance

subjects: work engagement

abstract: The aim of the current study was to examine the interrelations of important work related variables within small New Zealand based hospitality organisations in order to enhance the understanding of factors that contribute to success within these organisations. Of particular interest was the role of employee work environment perceptions (psychological climate) in relation to employee work engagement, intention to leave and organisational citizenship behaviour directed at the organisation (OCBO). Two theoretical models were tested to investigate the expected role of psychological climate. Model 1 was a mediation model wherein work engagement was expected to mediate between psychological climate, and intention to leave and OCBO. Model 2 took an alternative approach in which psychological climate was posed as a moderator of predicted work engagement-intention to leave and intention to leave-OCBO relationships. 
In total, 177 surveys were included in the data analyses. The results provided full support for Model 1, showing significant relationships between all psychological climate dimensions and work engagement. Work engagement in turn was negatively related to intention to leave and positively related to OCBO. Work engagement mediated the relationships between the psychological climate dimensions and intention to leave and OCBO. Little support was found, however, for Model 2. Although, as predicted, there were negative relationships between work engagement and intention to leave, and intention to leave and OCBO, intention to leave was not found to mediate between work engagement and OCBO. More importantly, no moderation effects were observed for the psychological climate dimensions. 
No causal inferences may be drawn from the results of this study. Nevertheless, the findings do suggest that psychological climate has an important role to play in determining levels of work engagement, which in turn impacts on employee intentions to leave their jobs and to voluntarily demonstrate behaviours that can enhance organisational effectiveness. Additionally, the negative correlations between intention to leave and OCBO indicate that employees who are seriously entertaining the idea of exiting the organisation may reduce their levels of OCBO.
 
It is suggested that owner/managers of small hospitality organisations actively focus on modifying aspects of the work environment that are likely to promote favourable work environment perceptions and positively shape employees work-related affective-cognitive state.

text: Psychological Climate, Work Engagement, Intention to Leave and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour in Small Hospitality Businesses. The aim of the current study was to examine the interrelations of important work related variables within small New Zealand based hospitality organisations in order to enhance the understanding of factors that contribute to success within these organisations. Of particular interest was the role of employee work environment perceptions (psychological climate) in relation to employee work engagement, intention to leave and organisational citizenship behaviour directed at the organisation (OCBO). Two theoretical models were tested to investigate the expected role of psychological climate. Model 1 was a mediation model wherein work engagement was expected to mediate between psychological climate, and intention to leave and OCBO. Model 2 took an alternative approach in which psychological climate was posed as a moderator of predicted work engagement-intention to leave and intention to leave-OCBO relationships. 
In total, 177 surveys were included in the data analyses. The results provided full support for Model 1, showing significant relationships between all psychological climate dimensions and work engagement. Work engagement in turn was negatively related to intention to leave and positively related to OCBO. Work engagement mediated the relationships between the psychological climate dimensions and intention to leave and OCBO. Little support was found, however, for Model 2. Although, as predicted, there were negative relationships between work engagement and intention to leave, and intention to leave and OCBO, intention to leave was not found to mediate between work engagement and OCBO. More importantly, no moderation effects were observed for the psychological climate dimensions. 
No causal inferences may be drawn from the results of this study. Nevertheless, the findings do suggest that psychological climate has an important role to play in determining levels of work engagement, which in turn impacts on employee intentions to leave their jobs and to voluntarily demonstrate behaviours that can enhance organisational effectiveness. Additionally, the negative correlations between intention to leave and OCBO indicate that employees who are seriously entertaining the idea of exiting the organisation may reduce their levels of OCBO.
 
It is suggested that owner/managers of small hospitality organisations actively focus on modifying aspects of the work environment that are likely to promote favourable work environment perceptions and positively shape employees work-related affective-cognitive state.

year: 2014

title: Studies on the conservation of waterlogged wood in New Zealand

authors: Wallace, Roderick Thomas

abstract: This thesis is a study of properties of certain New Zealand woods recovered from waterlogged environments. The woods are those which were commonly used by the pre-european Maori to make artefacts, and the properties are those which affect the way these artefacts can be conserved after they have been removed from wet archaeological sites.
The properties studied were (a) the species of wood used (b) the forms and shapes of the timbers (c) the densities (d) directional shrinkages, and (e) directional penetrabilities of each wood. The results of this research are intended to aid conservators to correctly treat the artefacts. 
The research began with studies of (a) New Zealand wet site archaeology, (b) the structure and properties of wood in general, and (c) the techniques used to conserve waterlogged wood worldwide.
This was followed by a survey of circa. 1000 wooden Maori artefacts from Museums involving the identification, by thin section microscopy, of wood species. 30 wood types from 22 tree species were found to have been widely used. A collection was made of samples of each type in different states of decay. 
Each sample was tested for density, directional shrinkage and directional penetrability.
The penetrability was measured by vacuum impregnation of water into wood blocks. Results were compared to those from sound oak (Quercus robur), a wood which has been studied intensively by conservators in Europe. 
Detailed summaries of the conservation properties of 26 wood types are given. This reveals that while some New Zealand woods are easy to conserve others provide considerable problems. The latter woods are all highly durable in wet sites, extremely dense, have high shrinkages and are highly impenetrable. These will require special types of treatment to avoid damage during conservation.

text: Studies on the conservation of waterlogged wood in New Zealand This thesis is a study of properties of certain New Zealand woods recovered from waterlogged environments. The woods are those which were commonly used by the pre-european Maori to make artefacts, and the properties are those which affect the way these artefacts can be conserved after they have been removed from wet archaeological sites.
The properties studied were (a) the species of wood used (b) the forms and shapes of the timbers (c) the densities (d) directional shrinkages, and (e) directional penetrabilities of each wood. The results of this research are intended to aid conservators to correctly treat the artefacts. 
The research began with studies of (a) New Zealand wet site archaeology, (b) the structure and properties of wood in general, and (c) the techniques used to conserve waterlogged wood worldwide.
This was followed by a survey of circa. 1000 wooden Maori artefacts from Museums involving the identification, by thin section microscopy, of wood species. 30 wood types from 22 tree species were found to have been widely used. A collection was made of samples of each type in different states of decay. 
Each sample was tested for density, directional shrinkage and directional penetrability.
The penetrability was measured by vacuum impregnation of water into wood blocks. Results were compared to those from sound oak (Quercus robur), a wood which has been studied intensively by conservators in Europe. 
Detailed summaries of the conservation properties of 26 wood types are given. This reveals that while some New Zealand woods are easy to conserve others provide considerable problems. The latter woods are all highly durable in wet sites, extremely dense, have high shrinkages and are highly impenetrable. These will require special types of treatment to avoid damage during conservation.

year: 1985