title: Depth-differentiated, multivariate control of biopore number under different land-use practices

authors: Stolze, Katharina

subjects: earthworm communities

abstract: Earthworms and (tap-)roots impact the soil structure by creating large biopores, affecting infiltration capacity, seepage, nutrient cycling, and soil aeration. Despite the importance of biopores for the functions of soils and the fact that several hundreds of biopores >2 mm in diameter may occur on one square meter of soil, knowledge on the interdependence of soil properties, land-use intensity, and biopore number is still rudimentary. In this study, we investigate the linkage of the number of biopores (>2 mm i.d.) with the earthworm community, root biomass, and soil properties, including pH, water content, soil organic carbon (SOC), as well as the land-use intensity (pasture vs. cropland) as a function of the soil depth (15, 30 and 50 cm). Hypothesized causal relationships among these factors were analyzed by piecewise structural equation modelling (SEM). We found various and novel linkages between roots, earthworms, biopores, and soil properties depending on soil depth. In topsoil (at 15 cm depth), roots directly affected the number of small-sized biopores, and anecic earthworms were related to medium-sized biopores. These effects diminished with depth. We identified land-use intensity as the factor preponderating the relations between biopores, root biomass, and earthworm number in the topsoil horizons, thereby masking other interactions among variables. This appeared as high multicollinearity among variables in the SEM of the topsoil. Land-use intensity effects were found to impact the whole soil profile but decreased with soil depth. To further elucidate the single effects of soil properties on biopore-forming biota and number of biopores in the topsoil, we excluded land-use intensity as a variable in subsequent analyses. Biopores increased with soil pH and soil water content but decreased with increasing SOC. Based on our SEM analysis, we conclude that the occurrence, frequency, and persistence of biopores are the consequence of intricate interdependencies between earthworm communities, roots, and site-specific soil properties, governed by land-use intensity.

text: Depth-differentiated, multivariate control of biopore number under different land-use practices Earthworms and (tap-)roots impact the soil structure by creating large biopores, affecting infiltration capacity, seepage, nutrient cycling, and soil aeration. Despite the importance of biopores for the functions of soils and the fact that several hundreds of biopores >2 mm in diameter may occur on one square meter of soil, knowledge on the interdependence of soil properties, land-use intensity, and biopore number is still rudimentary. In this study, we investigate the linkage of the number of biopores (>2 mm i.d.) with the earthworm community, root biomass, and soil properties, including pH, water content, soil organic carbon (SOC), as well as the land-use intensity (pasture vs. cropland) as a function of the soil depth (15, 30 and 50 cm). Hypothesized causal relationships among these factors were analyzed by piecewise structural equation modelling (SEM). We found various and novel linkages between roots, earthworms, biopores, and soil properties depending on soil depth. In topsoil (at 15 cm depth), roots directly affected the number of small-sized biopores, and anecic earthworms were related to medium-sized biopores. These effects diminished with depth. We identified land-use intensity as the factor preponderating the relations between biopores, root biomass, and earthworm number in the topsoil horizons, thereby masking other interactions among variables. This appeared as high multicollinearity among variables in the SEM of the topsoil. Land-use intensity effects were found to impact the whole soil profile but decreased with soil depth. To further elucidate the single effects of soil properties on biopore-forming biota and number of biopores in the topsoil, we excluded land-use intensity as a variable in subsequent analyses. Biopores increased with soil pH and soil water content but decreased with increasing SOC. Based on our SEM analysis, we conclude that the occurrence, frequency, and persistence of biopores are the consequence of intricate interdependencies between earthworm communities, roots, and site-specific soil properties, governed by land-use intensity.

year: 2022

title: Positioning Functional Foods for Sports Performance - A Case Study: A food producer's communication with external stakeholder groups

authors: Johnson, Vanessa

subjects: Functional Foods

abstract: Increased consumer and professional interest in healthy foods and beverages, coupled with recent advances in food science technology, have seen food-producing organisations create and market food products claiming to offer physiological benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. These functional foods have sparked considerable public debate despite growing in popularity and availability. To date, empirical research on functional foods has focused mostly on consumer and medical professional perspectives. However, this case study focuses on the perspective of the food-producing organisation. In this case study I examine how one food-producing organisation tries to balance the tensions it faces in developing and producing functional foods. My interest is in how organisational assumptions affect research and development decisions, and subsequent communication with external stakeholders. The functional foods are beverages which can aid sports performance. The external stakeholders are to primarily be sportspeople (meaning highly competitive sportspeople and elite athletes), but I also include other relevant external stakeholder groups such as coaches, and health professionals. The data collection comprises semi-structured one-on-one interviews with organisational members involved in research and development, nutrition claims, marketing, and branding; together, with a review of secondary organisational information taken from websites and advertisements. The interpretive thematic analysis shows that this food-producing organisation made specific organisational assumptions about health, functional foods, sportspeople, and other consumer groups. The findings demonstrate that the organisation juggles multiple identities at a product, brand and organisational level in order to connect with the broadest range of stakeholders possible. This creates tensions concerning where the focus for product development, branding, and other communication should reside, which have financial and legislative consequences; in turn potentially affecting organisational reputation. One implication of this research is that in trying to connect with too broad a range of stakeholders the organisation may start losing the brand credibility it has thus far built up with specific consumer groups, such as sportspeople, and compromise the respect of professional interest groups and expert stakeholders.

text: Positioning Functional Foods for Sports Performance - A Case Study: A food producer's communication with external stakeholder groups Increased consumer and professional interest in healthy foods and beverages, coupled with recent advances in food science technology, have seen food-producing organisations create and market food products claiming to offer physiological benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. These functional foods have sparked considerable public debate despite growing in popularity and availability. To date, empirical research on functional foods has focused mostly on consumer and medical professional perspectives. However, this case study focuses on the perspective of the food-producing organisation. In this case study I examine how one food-producing organisation tries to balance the tensions it faces in developing and producing functional foods. My interest is in how organisational assumptions affect research and development decisions, and subsequent communication with external stakeholders. The functional foods are beverages which can aid sports performance. The external stakeholders are to primarily be sportspeople (meaning highly competitive sportspeople and elite athletes), but I also include other relevant external stakeholder groups such as coaches, and health professionals. The data collection comprises semi-structured one-on-one interviews with organisational members involved in research and development, nutrition claims, marketing, and branding; together, with a review of secondary organisational information taken from websites and advertisements. The interpretive thematic analysis shows that this food-producing organisation made specific organisational assumptions about health, functional foods, sportspeople, and other consumer groups. The findings demonstrate that the organisation juggles multiple identities at a product, brand and organisational level in order to connect with the broadest range of stakeholders possible. This creates tensions concerning where the focus for product development, branding, and other communication should reside, which have financial and legislative consequences; in turn potentially affecting organisational reputation. One implication of this research is that in trying to connect with too broad a range of stakeholders the organisation may start losing the brand credibility it has thus far built up with specific consumer groups, such as sportspeople, and compromise the respect of professional interest groups and expert stakeholders.

year: 2011

title: Ko Te Ika-a-Māui rānei?

authors: Takurua, Nātana

abstract: Tēnei au te noho nei me te kōroiroi o whakaaro i roto i a Hinengaro. He aha rā te take kāore i mau mai ai ngā ingoa Māori tūturu, whai mana nei i te taenga mai o te Pākehā ki Aotearoa nei? Nā wai i kī ka hurihia ngā ingoa kua tapaina noatia e ngā mātua tīpuna kia noho ko te North me te South
Island?

text: Ko Te Ika-a-Māui rānei? Tēnei au te noho nei me te kōroiroi o whakaaro i roto i a Hinengaro. He aha rā te take kāore i mau mai ai ngā ingoa Māori tūturu, whai mana nei i te taenga mai o te Pākehā ki Aotearoa nei? Nā wai i kī ka hurihia ngā ingoa kua tapaina noatia e ngā mātua tīpuna kia noho ko te North me te South
Island?

year: 2009