title: Responding to the urbanisation of Melanesia’s populations: a critical 21st century challenge

authors: Bedford, Richard

subjects: population

abstract: Rowan Callick’s (1993) deliberately provocative ‘doomsday scenario’ for an increasingly impoverished and marginalised Pacific by 2010 was primarily designed to challenge a prevailing tendency at the time towards complacency about medium-term prospects for a region where the great majority of the population remained ruralresident.

text: Responding to the urbanisation of Melanesia’s populations: a critical 21st century challenge Rowan Callick’s (1993) deliberately provocative ‘doomsday scenario’ for an increasingly impoverished and marginalised Pacific by 2010 was primarily designed to challenge a prevailing tendency at the time towards complacency about medium-term prospects for a region where the great majority of the population remained ruralresident.

year: 2010

title: Impacts of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on genetic diversity among New Zealand and Antarctic Arthropods

authors: Bennett, Kristi R.

subjects: Antarctica

abstract: Geological events such as glaciation and crustal uplift can impact on species' distributions and genetic diversity through the formation of dispersal barriers and fragmentation of habitat. This thesis investigates the effects of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on intra- and interspecific population diversity in a New Zealand aquatic invertebrate and an Antarctic terrestrial invertebrate. 
Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) are an aquatic invertebrate that are widespread and common throughout both islands of New Zealand. Species are used in stream health studies and as a measure of diversity, but knowledge of their genetic diversity is limited. Mitochondrial DNA (COI) sequence variability was used to examine levels of divergence among closely-related species of caddisflies collected from throughout New Zealand. Based on genetic analysis, seven closely related species pairs were identified, consisting of morphologically distinct species, each restricted to either the North or South Island. Another five species showed similar or greater levels of "intraspecific" divergence, with genetically distinct populations on each island. Sequence divergence between these twelve "species pairs" ranged from 0.41% in Confluens olingoides / Confluens hamiltoni, to 9.92% between the North and South Island populations of Pycnocentria evecta. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergences for these twelve species pairs were estimated to within the last 5 million years, with most dating to the beginning of the Pleistocene (2 Mya). I conclude that population fragmentation during the Pleistocene glaciations and subsequent closing of the Cook Strait land bridge have both played important roles in the isolation and speciation of the New Zealand caddisflies.
Mitochondrial DNA (COI) analysis was also used to examine the levels of genetic variability within and among populations of three endemic springtail species (Arthropoda: Collembola), collected from the Mackay Glacier region of southern Victoria Land, in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. I tested the hypothesis that genetic divergences would occur among glacially-isolated habitats within a fragmented landscape. Mitochondrial analysis of 97 individuals showed high levels of genetic divergence at small spatial scales (<15km). High levels of genetic divergence were found among populations for two of the three species. Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni, a widespread and common species showed 7.6% sequence divergence on opposite sides of the Mackay Glacier. Similar divergences were also found for Neocryptopygus nivicolus, a more range-restricted species showing 4.0% sequence divergence among populations. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergence of these populations occurred in the last 5 Mya. It was suggested that glaciations during the Pliocene (5-2 Mya) and throughout the Pleistocene (2 Mya - 10 Kya) have fragmented springtail populations in this region and isolated them in small, refugial nunataks. I conclude that glaciation has promoted and maintained the levels of diversity observed among populations of springtails and that isolation has occurred on extremely small spatial scales.
Collectively, the two studies presented here suggest that the Pleistocene glaciations are responsible for habitat fragmentation, the genetic signatures for which can be observed in invertebrate taxa in both New Zealand and southern Victoria Land, Antarctica.

text: Impacts of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on genetic diversity among New Zealand and Antarctic Arthropods Geological events such as glaciation and crustal uplift can impact on species' distributions and genetic diversity through the formation of dispersal barriers and fragmentation of habitat. This thesis investigates the effects of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on intra- and interspecific population diversity in a New Zealand aquatic invertebrate and an Antarctic terrestrial invertebrate. 
Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) are an aquatic invertebrate that are widespread and common throughout both islands of New Zealand. Species are used in stream health studies and as a measure of diversity, but knowledge of their genetic diversity is limited. Mitochondrial DNA (COI) sequence variability was used to examine levels of divergence among closely-related species of caddisflies collected from throughout New Zealand. Based on genetic analysis, seven closely related species pairs were identified, consisting of morphologically distinct species, each restricted to either the North or South Island. Another five species showed similar or greater levels of "intraspecific" divergence, with genetically distinct populations on each island. Sequence divergence between these twelve "species pairs" ranged from 0.41% in Confluens olingoides / Confluens hamiltoni, to 9.92% between the North and South Island populations of Pycnocentria evecta. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergences for these twelve species pairs were estimated to within the last 5 million years, with most dating to the beginning of the Pleistocene (2 Mya). I conclude that population fragmentation during the Pleistocene glaciations and subsequent closing of the Cook Strait land bridge have both played important roles in the isolation and speciation of the New Zealand caddisflies.
Mitochondrial DNA (COI) analysis was also used to examine the levels of genetic variability within and among populations of three endemic springtail species (Arthropoda: Collembola), collected from the Mackay Glacier region of southern Victoria Land, in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. I tested the hypothesis that genetic divergences would occur among glacially-isolated habitats within a fragmented landscape. Mitochondrial analysis of 97 individuals showed high levels of genetic divergence at small spatial scales (<15km). High levels of genetic divergence were found among populations for two of the three species. Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni, a widespread and common species showed 7.6% sequence divergence on opposite sides of the Mackay Glacier. Similar divergences were also found for Neocryptopygus nivicolus, a more range-restricted species showing 4.0% sequence divergence among populations. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergence of these populations occurred in the last 5 Mya. It was suggested that glaciations during the Pliocene (5-2 Mya) and throughout the Pleistocene (2 Mya - 10 Kya) have fragmented springtail populations in this region and isolated them in small, refugial nunataks. I conclude that glaciation has promoted and maintained the levels of diversity observed among populations of springtails and that isolation has occurred on extremely small spatial scales.
Collectively, the two studies presented here suggest that the Pleistocene glaciations are responsible for habitat fragmentation, the genetic signatures for which can be observed in invertebrate taxa in both New Zealand and southern Victoria Land, Antarctica.

year: 2013

title: Inside the Resource Management Act:  A Tainui Case Study

authors: Greensill, Angeline Ngahina

subjects: Maori

abstract: Under the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 councils are required to promote the sustainable management of physical and natural resources within their respective areas.    In carrying out their duties, councils are obliged to recognise and provide for the relationship of Māori with their culture, traditions, lands, waters and other taonga.  They are also required to have regard to kaitiakitanga, and to take into account the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi when making decisions.    
This thesis focuses on the RMA experiences of Tainui, a hapū in Whaingaroa. It sets out to prove that in the last 19 years, since the enactment of the RMA, Waikato councils have failed to honour these obligations to Tainui.  While the RMA specifically provides for Māori interests, in reality those interests are contested and eroded by decision makers who write and enforce rules which inequitably affect Māori relationships with land and other taonga. 
The thesis engages multiple theories and methodologies including Kaupapa Māori, critical theory, autobiography, and a longitudinal case study to expose personal experiences that   bring the realities of planning impacts on Tainui to life.    The fact that Tainui has successfully appealed several council decisions to the Environment Court indicates that councils are failing to meet their obligations as laid out in the legislation.

text: Inside the Resource Management Act:  A Tainui Case Study Under the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 councils are required to promote the sustainable management of physical and natural resources within their respective areas.    In carrying out their duties, councils are obliged to recognise and provide for the relationship of Māori with their culture, traditions, lands, waters and other taonga.  They are also required to have regard to kaitiakitanga, and to take into account the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi when making decisions.    
This thesis focuses on the RMA experiences of Tainui, a hapū in Whaingaroa. It sets out to prove that in the last 19 years, since the enactment of the RMA, Waikato councils have failed to honour these obligations to Tainui.  While the RMA specifically provides for Māori interests, in reality those interests are contested and eroded by decision makers who write and enforce rules which inequitably affect Māori relationships with land and other taonga. 
The thesis engages multiple theories and methodologies including Kaupapa Māori, critical theory, autobiography, and a longitudinal case study to expose personal experiences that   bring the realities of planning impacts on Tainui to life.    The fact that Tainui has successfully appealed several council decisions to the Environment Court indicates that councils are failing to meet their obligations as laid out in the legislation.

year: 2010