title: What kind of countryside do the public want: community visions from Wales UK?

authors: Scott, Alister J.

subjects: countryside

abstract: This paper assesses how far community led rural visions accord with the current thrust of rural planning policy delivery in the UK. Adapting conventional visioning methods, qualitative techniques were used on eight different communities across urban, exurban and rural Wales to elicit views relating to the kind of local countryside(s) that were desired. The results show that the communities’ visions reflect an emerging consensus around local countryside priorities: multifunctionality, integration, wider countryside protection, development based on need, and local distinctiveness according with the thrust of current planning policy at national and local levels. However, there is a clear dichotomy between this and the reality of what communities actually experienced in developments affecting their countryside. Here, universal criticism was encountered over the type, pace and scale of development, the lack of rural specificity and the failure to take account of local community needs and priorities. It is hypothesized that tensions between national and local politics and stakeholder power relations are playing a crucial role in distorting the delivery of town and country planning. It is recommended that rural policy delivery must become more ‘‘joined up’’ and rural proofed at national and local levels concomitant with a change in the operational culture of agencies at the forefront of rural delivery. Essentially, effective engagement of top down approaches synergising with bottom up community led ideas is long overdue.

text: What kind of countryside do the public want: community visions from Wales UK? This paper assesses how far community led rural visions accord with the current thrust of rural planning policy delivery in the UK. Adapting conventional visioning methods, qualitative techniques were used on eight different communities across urban, exurban and rural Wales to elicit views relating to the kind of local countryside(s) that were desired. The results show that the communities’ visions reflect an emerging consensus around local countryside priorities: multifunctionality, integration, wider countryside protection, development based on need, and local distinctiveness according with the thrust of current planning policy at national and local levels. However, there is a clear dichotomy between this and the reality of what communities actually experienced in developments affecting their countryside. Here, universal criticism was encountered over the type, pace and scale of development, the lack of rural specificity and the failure to take account of local community needs and priorities. It is hypothesized that tensions between national and local politics and stakeholder power relations are playing a crucial role in distorting the delivery of town and country planning. It is recommended that rural policy delivery must become more ‘‘joined up’’ and rural proofed at national and local levels concomitant with a change in the operational culture of agencies at the forefront of rural delivery. Essentially, effective engagement of top down approaches synergising with bottom up community led ideas is long overdue.

year: 2011

title: Ancient landscapes of the Namib Desert harbor high levels of genetic variability and deeply divergent lineages for Collembola.

authors: Collins, Gemma Elyse

subjects: Collembola

abstract: Aim: To assess spatial patterns of genetic and species-level diversity for Namib Desert Collembola using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Location: Namib Desert gravel plains. Taxon: Collembola (springtails). Methods: A total of 77 soil samples were collected along NE-SW (60 km) and E-W (160 km) transects from within a 4,000 km2 area of the Namib Desert gravel plains. We extracted 434 springtails from the 37 samples which contained Collembola and sequenced them at the COI gene locus. In the absence of specific taxonomic keys and previous genetic data for these taxa, we used Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) analyses to provide putative species-level designations. Results: We obtained 341 successful COI sequences, 175 of which were unique haplotypes. GMYC analyses identified 30 putative species, with up to 28% sequence divergence (uncorrected p-distance). The distribution of genetic variants was disjunct, with 97% of haplotypes and 70% of "GMYC species" found only at single sites. Main conclusions: Dispersal events, although rare, may be facilitated by environmental events such as prevailing onshore winds or occasional flow of rainwater to the coast. We conclude that the high genetic diversity we observed is the result of ancient springtail lineages, patchy distribution of suitable habitats, and limited dispersal (gene flow) among habitable locations.

text: Ancient landscapes of the Namib Desert harbor high levels of genetic variability and deeply divergent lineages for Collembola. Aim: To assess spatial patterns of genetic and species-level diversity for Namib Desert Collembola using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Location: Namib Desert gravel plains. Taxon: Collembola (springtails). Methods: A total of 77 soil samples were collected along NE-SW (60 km) and E-W (160 km) transects from within a 4,000 km2 area of the Namib Desert gravel plains. We extracted 434 springtails from the 37 samples which contained Collembola and sequenced them at the COI gene locus. In the absence of specific taxonomic keys and previous genetic data for these taxa, we used Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) analyses to provide putative species-level designations. Results: We obtained 341 successful COI sequences, 175 of which were unique haplotypes. GMYC analyses identified 30 putative species, with up to 28% sequence divergence (uncorrected p-distance). The distribution of genetic variants was disjunct, with 97% of haplotypes and 70% of "GMYC species" found only at single sites. Main conclusions: Dispersal events, although rare, may be facilitated by environmental events such as prevailing onshore winds or occasional flow of rainwater to the coast. We conclude that the high genetic diversity we observed is the result of ancient springtail lineages, patchy distribution of suitable habitats, and limited dispersal (gene flow) among habitable locations.

year: 2019

title: What is Māori typography?

authors: Kennedy, Nikki Eileen

subjects: Māori Design

abstract: Te Reo Māori was traditionally an oral language similar to many indigenous cultures. Writing systems were not familiar to Māori until 1769 where Māori were introduced to the written language by Pākehā. Early Māori writing can be found printed, carved and painted in a number of different parts of Māori society. These myriad texts were strongly influenced and inspired by Pākehā biblical texts and newspapers. The influence of Pākehā texts meant that overtime the written language of Te Reo Māori had a Pākehā visual identity.

To date, there is minimal research about the history and visual identity of Māori typography. The lack of research and resources about Māori typography confirms how underdeveloped Māori typography is and highlights the potential for research and development in this space.

This thesis aims to explore Māori typography. In particular, this thesis will provide an understanding of how Māori typography has evolved, addressing the perceptions of Māori text features and advice on design guidance of Māori typography.

Two studies within this thesis involved analysing the text-based features in 21 Māori newspapers dated from 1842-1935. Māori newspapers are a valuable resource that captured moments in history and also early displays of Māori text. The second study involved interviews with 50 participants — Māori and non-Māori, from a range of different backgrounds — who provided their understandings and perceptions surrounding the features of Māori text.

The results from these studies have shown that the serif typeface classification was commonly used in early print such as Māori newspapers. Serif lettering also reminded participants in our studies of early Māori texts such as old text books and newspapers. This appears to be the reason as to why, a strong theme of serifs and the style of Didone typefaces have been used throughout Māori typography and by default are recognised features of Māori typefaces today.

Having analysed Māori newspapers, an unexpected finding appeared in the 1908 Te Pipiwharauroa newspaper. Two unique letter characters were found that was revolution for Te Reo Māori text of the time. This oddity combined the ‘ng’ letters into one letter character and the ‘wh’ letters into one letter character also. The aim in combining the two letters together was to emphasise the one sound that the ‘ng’ and the ‘wh’ make to avoid confusion in the pronunciation of Māori words. The results showed that these two letter characters appeared from 1908 through to 1912. There is no evidence of these characters appearing after 1912 and also appearing in other newspapers. The two characters were a rare appearance of its time.

As a result of this research it is clear that the visual identity of Te Reo Māori remains unclear and was highly influenced by serif lettering. This thesis highlights the need for more research about Māori typography and design guidance for developing appropriate Māori typefaces that are influenced and inspired by Maori culture.

text: What is Māori typography? Te Reo Māori was traditionally an oral language similar to many indigenous cultures. Writing systems were not familiar to Māori until 1769 where Māori were introduced to the written language by Pākehā. Early Māori writing can be found printed, carved and painted in a number of different parts of Māori society. These myriad texts were strongly influenced and inspired by Pākehā biblical texts and newspapers. The influence of Pākehā texts meant that overtime the written language of Te Reo Māori had a Pākehā visual identity.

To date, there is minimal research about the history and visual identity of Māori typography. The lack of research and resources about Māori typography confirms how underdeveloped Māori typography is and highlights the potential for research and development in this space.

This thesis aims to explore Māori typography. In particular, this thesis will provide an understanding of how Māori typography has evolved, addressing the perceptions of Māori text features and advice on design guidance of Māori typography.

Two studies within this thesis involved analysing the text-based features in 21 Māori newspapers dated from 1842-1935. Māori newspapers are a valuable resource that captured moments in history and also early displays of Māori text. The second study involved interviews with 50 participants — Māori and non-Māori, from a range of different backgrounds — who provided their understandings and perceptions surrounding the features of Māori text.

The results from these studies have shown that the serif typeface classification was commonly used in early print such as Māori newspapers. Serif lettering also reminded participants in our studies of early Māori texts such as old text books and newspapers. This appears to be the reason as to why, a strong theme of serifs and the style of Didone typefaces have been used throughout Māori typography and by default are recognised features of Māori typefaces today.

Having analysed Māori newspapers, an unexpected finding appeared in the 1908 Te Pipiwharauroa newspaper. Two unique letter characters were found that was revolution for Te Reo Māori text of the time. This oddity combined the ‘ng’ letters into one letter character and the ‘wh’ letters into one letter character also. The aim in combining the two letters together was to emphasise the one sound that the ‘ng’ and the ‘wh’ make to avoid confusion in the pronunciation of Māori words. The results showed that these two letter characters appeared from 1908 through to 1912. There is no evidence of these characters appearing after 1912 and also appearing in other newspapers. The two characters were a rare appearance of its time.

As a result of this research it is clear that the visual identity of Te Reo Māori remains unclear and was highly influenced by serif lettering. This thesis highlights the need for more research about Māori typography and design guidance for developing appropriate Māori typefaces that are influenced and inspired by Maori culture.

year: 2020