title: Evaluation of iwi and hapū participation in the resource consents processes of six district councils

authors: Backhurst, Michael

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This working paper analyses the processes adopted by councils for involving hapū/iwi in plan implementation, including the resource consents process. Three topic issues were investigated to assess plan implementation — urban amenity, storm water, and issues of importance to iwi. Questions were asked about the capacity of hapū/iwi to engage in the resource consent process, which resource issues were of concern to them, their relationship with council and consent applicants, and their perception of the consent process. Most resources listed in the questionnaire were of concern to hapū/iwi, with water quality, wāhi tapu and heritage the most commonly cited. In conclusion, we found a general dissatisfaction on the part of hapū/iwi with councils’ performance with respect to both Treaty relationships and consent processing under the RMA. A further contributing factor to the poor relationships found between hapū/iwi and councils, was the lack of clarity over the role of hapū and iwi in resource management. In several districts, diverging responses from hapū/iwi and councils to questions about level of understanding and commitment suggests there is a need for more effective communication. These problems are compounded by the generally low capacity of hapū/iwi to participate in resource consent processes. These findings suggest that there is much to be done to improve relationships and behaviour of these key stakeholder groups in the plan implementation process if key provisions in the RMA related to hapū/iwi interests are to be fulfilled. The differences shown in reciprocal perceptions have serious implications for establishing a sound working partnership between councils and hapū/iwi in their areas. Making clear these discrepancies is a first step towards taking the measures needed for building a better partnership. Further, the capacity of hapū/iwi to participate could be better utilised if there was greater integration between regional and district councils on issues of significance and processes for iwi involvement.

text: Evaluation of iwi and hapū participation in the resource consents processes of six district councils This working paper analyses the processes adopted by councils for involving hapū/iwi in plan implementation, including the resource consents process. Three topic issues were investigated to assess plan implementation — urban amenity, storm water, and issues of importance to iwi. Questions were asked about the capacity of hapū/iwi to engage in the resource consent process, which resource issues were of concern to them, their relationship with council and consent applicants, and their perception of the consent process. Most resources listed in the questionnaire were of concern to hapū/iwi, with water quality, wāhi tapu and heritage the most commonly cited. In conclusion, we found a general dissatisfaction on the part of hapū/iwi with councils’ performance with respect to both Treaty relationships and consent processing under the RMA. A further contributing factor to the poor relationships found between hapū/iwi and councils, was the lack of clarity over the role of hapū and iwi in resource management. In several districts, diverging responses from hapū/iwi and councils to questions about level of understanding and commitment suggests there is a need for more effective communication. These problems are compounded by the generally low capacity of hapū/iwi to participate in resource consent processes. These findings suggest that there is much to be done to improve relationships and behaviour of these key stakeholder groups in the plan implementation process if key provisions in the RMA related to hapū/iwi interests are to be fulfilled. The differences shown in reciprocal perceptions have serious implications for establishing a sound working partnership between councils and hapū/iwi in their areas. Making clear these discrepancies is a first step towards taking the measures needed for building a better partnership. Further, the capacity of hapū/iwi to participate could be better utilised if there was greater integration between regional and district councils on issues of significance and processes for iwi involvement.

year: 2004-03

title: Ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa ki Rotorua

authors: Morrison, Scott Jeffrey Tipene

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: Ko te reo Māori he reo tuauriuri whāioio, ā, he reo i kōhure ake i te whenua e kīa nei ko Aotearoa. Heoi anō, ka tae mai te Pākehā ki konei noho ai, ā, ka whārikihia ko ā rātou ture hei tauira tikanga mō ngā tāngata ki Aotearoa, ā, ko tō rātou reo hei reo whakaata whakaaro hei reo hoko parāoa hoki. I roto i ngā tau maha kua pahemo i raro i ēnei whakarite hou, kua memeha noa te reo Māori. Te mutu, i roto i ngā whakaakoranga hou i mahue ngā ahureitanga ake o te reo hei kawenga i te hihiri o te hinengaro Māori. Koinei ka tahuri ake au ki te whai i tētahi o ngā āhuatanga whakahirahira o te reo e mahue ana i roto i ngā akoranga i te reo hei reo tuarua.
Ko ngā kīrehu tētahi pekanga o te reo Māori kei te kaha te ngaro i te nuinga o ngā kaikōrero o te reo Māori o ēnei rā. Ki te waiho ērā momo kōrero kia moe, e kore e whakaara ake, ā, ko tōna mutunga, kua ngaro mō ake tonu atu. Kātahi tātou te ao Māori ka tangi mō tēnei āhuatanga nui o te reo ka ngaro i a tātou, ā, ko te rere a te ua koia anō kei te wai e riringi tonu nei te utu. Heoi anō, ki te mataara tātou, ki te whakaara ake i ēnei momo kōrero, ka whai kupu te reo Māori, ā, ka hoki mai te reo tuauriuri whāioio ki a tātou o tēnei reanga. Kei roto i ngā kīrehu e pupuri ana te wairua me te hinengaro Māori o ngā tūpuna o mua, arā, ka kite i te āhua o te whakaaro i roto i a rātou.
Ka tahuri ake au ki te whai i tēnei kaupapa kia whakaara ake anō ngā kīrehu kua roa e moe ana, ā, ki te kimi whakautu mō ētahi pātai i toko ake i te wā e whakaarohia ana te kaupapa nei. Tuatahi, i whakawhāiti taku titiro ki ngā kīrehu ake o Te Arawa waka e noho ana ki te rohe o Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe. I pērā ai te whānui o taku titiro kia kore ai au e pokea e te kaupapa nei ka tahi, kia whakaara ake anō ai ngā kīrehu tūturu o tērā rohe kua tino roa nei e ngaro ana ka rua, ā, kia whakahoki mai ai ko aua kīrehu hei mahi mā tēnei reanga kōrero Māori kia ea ai te kōrero, "Ko Te Arawa māngai nui" ka toru. Tuarua, i whakawhānui ake taku titiro ki ngā kīrehu kei te mōhiotia e te motu.
Hei whakatutuki i taku kaupapa ka tirohia, ka wānangahia te kaupapa i raro i ngā upoko e whai ake nei. Kei te upoko tuatahi he whakamārama he aha au i whai ai i taku kaupapa mō ngā kīrehu. Kei te upoko tuarua he āta whakamārama i te kīrehu me ōna tikanga katoa, me ngā rerekētanga i waenganui i te kīrehu me ana hoa me te kīwaha, te huahuatau, te kupu whakarite, me te whakataukī. Ka titiro hoki ki ngā wāhi ka rangona, ka whakamahia rānei te kīrehu. Kei te upoko tuatoru ka tirohia ngā kīrehu kua kitea. E rua ngā wāhanga o tēnei upoko. Kei te wāhanga tuatahi ko ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa ki Rotorua me ā rātou whakamārama, kei te wāhanga tuarua ko ngā kīrehu o te motu whānui kua whakaraupapahia i raro anō i ngā upoko e whakaatu ana i te tikanga o ia kīrehu, me ā rātou whakamārama. Kei te whakamutunga ko te whakarārangi me te tūhonohono ake i ngā kitenga katoa i roto i aku rangahau, i aku wherawheratanga i te kaupapa nei me ngā hua ka puta ki te whāia ngā kīrehu i roto i ngā akoranga ki te hunga kātahi anō ka tahuri mai ki te whai i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua.
Kei konei ka whai wāhi ki te whakamārama i te huarahi i whāia e tutuki ai te kaupapa o tēnei mahi rangahau. I te wā e whakaarohia ana te kaupapa nei ka puta te whakaaro ki roto i a au kia kōrero tahi me ngā koroheke nō roto o Te Arawa waka, kia pātaihia rātou ki ō rātou mōhiotanga e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa, me ngā kīrehu e mōhio ana rātou, kei te whakamahia rānei e rātou. Ka mutu, kia kōrero hoki ki ngā tāngata wetewete reo, ki ngā tāngata matatau, ki te rangatahi, me ngā koroheke o ngā iwi i waho atu o Te Arawa. Ehara i te mea he aha, heoi anō ki a au kāore kē he huarahi i tua atu i te kōrerorero-ā-tangata hei awhi i te rangahau o tēnei kaupapa. I pēnā ai te whakaaro nā te mea, ki a au ko te kīrehu he mea ka rangona i roto i ngā kōrerorero a te tangata, ā, he mea kāore e tino tuhituhi ana. Nā reira, i āta whakaaro au ko ngā wāhi kōrerorero noa a te tangata pea, ngā wāhi pai kia rapu mai i ēnei tūmomo kōrero. Nā, i whāia tēnei huarahi e au, ā, i tino whai hua tēnei o ngā huarahi. I kitea, i rangona ētahi kōrero whakamārama me ētahi o ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa i konei. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, i rangona ngā whakaaro me ngā kōrero a ngā momo tāngata katoa, rangatahi mai, koroheke mai.
I tua atu i te kōrero tahi, arā anō ngā huarahi i whāia. I pūhia au e ngā hau kōhengihengi a Tāwhirimātea kia tae atu ki ngā tōpito katoa o Te Ika Roa a Māui; ki ngā whare pukapuka i Tāmaki, i Te Whanganui a Tara, i Kirikiriroa, i Pāmutana, i Rotorua. Hei aha? Hei āta rangahau i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa. I reira i kitea ngā rīpoata tawhito me ngā rīpoata hou, ngā kohinga kōrero o namata, o nāianei hoki, me ngā reta i tuhia e ngā rangatira i tērā rautau, me ngā rārangi pukapuka e pupuri ana ngā kōrero o mua. I haere au ki Te Kōti Whenua Māori i Rotorua ki te pānui ngā kōrero e whakaatu ana i te noho a te Māori i ngā rā o nehe, me ngā kōrero i whakatakotohia e rātou ki mua i te aroaro o te kōti. I roto i ēnei tuhinga e mau ana ētahi kīrehu i whakahua ake i te wā i hui ai ngā tūpuna mō te whenua te kaupapa. Kei aua wāhi nui anō, arā, kei Tāmaki me Te Whanga Nui a Tara, e puritia ana ētahi tēpa kei runga nei ngā kōrero a ngā rangatira kua whetūrangitia. I tonoa kia whakarongo pīkari aku taringa ki ēnei tēpa, ā, i puta mai ētahi kīrehu i aua tēpa rā.
Nā ēnei momo huarahi i taea ai te whakaemi me te whakakao i ngā whakaaro me ngā kōrero katoa o tēnei tuhinga, ā, te putanga atu, kua whakarārangihia ngā kōrero, ngā whakaaro me ngā kīrehu i kitea mai, i rangona mai, i puta mai. 
Heoi anō, kāore te wai i marino i ngā wā katoa. I ētahi wā ka tae mai he raruraru, he uauatanga hei whakapakeke i te ara, he ngārara rānei hei whakapae i te huarahi. Ka pōuri te manawa nā te mea kāore au i whai wāhi ki te kōrero ki a Irirangi Tiakiawa rāua ko Tāmati Wharehuia i mua i tō rāua wehenga. I te whakatikatika au i a au anō ki te kōrero ki a Irirangi kātahi ia ka mate. Ka whakatika anō au ki te kōrero ki a Tāmati, ā, ka mate hoki tērā. Kāore e kore he kōrero, he mōhiotanga ā rāua hei whakamōmona i te tuhinga nei, engari e taea te pēhea? Ko tēnei mea te mate e kore e taea te karo, engari, i runga i tēnā āhua, kei te tangi tonu te mapu, kei te pōuri tonu te manawa.
I tua atu i tēnā, ka raruraru au i te korenga ōku e tino kite ngā kīrehu i roto i ngā tuhinga a te tangata. E tika ana te whakaaro, kāore ngā kīrehu e tino tuhituhi ana. I kitea ētahi i roto i ngā tuhinga, engari me uaua ka kitea mai ērā. E hia kē ngā hāora i whakapaua e au kia rapua mai ngā kīrehu e huna ana i roto i ngā pukapuka, i ngā reta, otirā i ngā momo tuhinga katoa a te tangata.
Ahakoa ēnei, he nui ngā painga i puta mai ki a au i roto i tēnei mahi rangahau. Ka mīharo katoa te kōrero tahi me ngā koroheke, i reira i āta rangona te reo o ngā mata o te ao kōhatu, me kī, te reo tuauriuri whāioio. I puta mai i a rātou ngā whakaaro tūturu o te hinengaro Māori tūturu hei awhi i te hanga o tēnei mahi rangahau. I pai anō rā taku haere ki te Whare Pukapuka o Turnbull i reira e pupuri ana ngā kōrero me ngā whakaahua a tua whakarere. I ētahi wā, nā te nui o ngā momo tuhinga Māori ātaahua i roto i taua whare pukapuka, ka titi taku haere ki kaupapa kē. Ahakoa i reira au mō te wiki kotahi, kāore rawa i oti i a au ngā tuhinga i hiahia au ki te pānui. Ko tētahi atu mea pai i puta mai ki a au i roto i tēnei mahi rangahau, ko te akoako i ētahi kīrehu, i ētahi kīwaha me ētahi whakataukī hou hei whakamahi māku i ngā wā e kōrero Māori ana au, me te whēkite o ētahi tuhinga Māori kāore anō au kia kite noa.
Heoi anō hei whakakapi i tēnei wāhanga, i hangaia mai tēnei pūtoi kīrehu hei whakaara ake i ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa ki Rotorua ka tahi, hei hua mā te hunga e ako ana i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua kia whai kupu tō rātou reo ka rua, hei whakahoki i ngā pātai i toko ake ai i te wā e whakaaroarohia ana tēnei kaupapa ka toru. Ināianei ka riro mā ngā kōrero, mā ngā tuhinga me ngā whakaaro kei te whai mai e whakatinana te kaupapa o tēnei mahi rangahau.

text: Ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa ki Rotorua Ko te reo Māori he reo tuauriuri whāioio, ā, he reo i kōhure ake i te whenua e kīa nei ko Aotearoa. Heoi anō, ka tae mai te Pākehā ki konei noho ai, ā, ka whārikihia ko ā rātou ture hei tauira tikanga mō ngā tāngata ki Aotearoa, ā, ko tō rātou reo hei reo whakaata whakaaro hei reo hoko parāoa hoki. I roto i ngā tau maha kua pahemo i raro i ēnei whakarite hou, kua memeha noa te reo Māori. Te mutu, i roto i ngā whakaakoranga hou i mahue ngā ahureitanga ake o te reo hei kawenga i te hihiri o te hinengaro Māori. Koinei ka tahuri ake au ki te whai i tētahi o ngā āhuatanga whakahirahira o te reo e mahue ana i roto i ngā akoranga i te reo hei reo tuarua.
Ko ngā kīrehu tētahi pekanga o te reo Māori kei te kaha te ngaro i te nuinga o ngā kaikōrero o te reo Māori o ēnei rā. Ki te waiho ērā momo kōrero kia moe, e kore e whakaara ake, ā, ko tōna mutunga, kua ngaro mō ake tonu atu. Kātahi tātou te ao Māori ka tangi mō tēnei āhuatanga nui o te reo ka ngaro i a tātou, ā, ko te rere a te ua koia anō kei te wai e riringi tonu nei te utu. Heoi anō, ki te mataara tātou, ki te whakaara ake i ēnei momo kōrero, ka whai kupu te reo Māori, ā, ka hoki mai te reo tuauriuri whāioio ki a tātou o tēnei reanga. Kei roto i ngā kīrehu e pupuri ana te wairua me te hinengaro Māori o ngā tūpuna o mua, arā, ka kite i te āhua o te whakaaro i roto i a rātou.
Ka tahuri ake au ki te whai i tēnei kaupapa kia whakaara ake anō ngā kīrehu kua roa e moe ana, ā, ki te kimi whakautu mō ētahi pātai i toko ake i te wā e whakaarohia ana te kaupapa nei. Tuatahi, i whakawhāiti taku titiro ki ngā kīrehu ake o Te Arawa waka e noho ana ki te rohe o Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe. I pērā ai te whānui o taku titiro kia kore ai au e pokea e te kaupapa nei ka tahi, kia whakaara ake anō ai ngā kīrehu tūturu o tērā rohe kua tino roa nei e ngaro ana ka rua, ā, kia whakahoki mai ai ko aua kīrehu hei mahi mā tēnei reanga kōrero Māori kia ea ai te kōrero, "Ko Te Arawa māngai nui" ka toru. Tuarua, i whakawhānui ake taku titiro ki ngā kīrehu kei te mōhiotia e te motu.
Hei whakatutuki i taku kaupapa ka tirohia, ka wānangahia te kaupapa i raro i ngā upoko e whai ake nei. Kei te upoko tuatahi he whakamārama he aha au i whai ai i taku kaupapa mō ngā kīrehu. Kei te upoko tuarua he āta whakamārama i te kīrehu me ōna tikanga katoa, me ngā rerekētanga i waenganui i te kīrehu me ana hoa me te kīwaha, te huahuatau, te kupu whakarite, me te whakataukī. Ka titiro hoki ki ngā wāhi ka rangona, ka whakamahia rānei te kīrehu. Kei te upoko tuatoru ka tirohia ngā kīrehu kua kitea. E rua ngā wāhanga o tēnei upoko. Kei te wāhanga tuatahi ko ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa ki Rotorua me ā rātou whakamārama, kei te wāhanga tuarua ko ngā kīrehu o te motu whānui kua whakaraupapahia i raro anō i ngā upoko e whakaatu ana i te tikanga o ia kīrehu, me ā rātou whakamārama. Kei te whakamutunga ko te whakarārangi me te tūhonohono ake i ngā kitenga katoa i roto i aku rangahau, i aku wherawheratanga i te kaupapa nei me ngā hua ka puta ki te whāia ngā kīrehu i roto i ngā akoranga ki te hunga kātahi anō ka tahuri mai ki te whai i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua.
Kei konei ka whai wāhi ki te whakamārama i te huarahi i whāia e tutuki ai te kaupapa o tēnei mahi rangahau. I te wā e whakaarohia ana te kaupapa nei ka puta te whakaaro ki roto i a au kia kōrero tahi me ngā koroheke nō roto o Te Arawa waka, kia pātaihia rātou ki ō rātou mōhiotanga e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa, me ngā kīrehu e mōhio ana rātou, kei te whakamahia rānei e rātou. Ka mutu, kia kōrero hoki ki ngā tāngata wetewete reo, ki ngā tāngata matatau, ki te rangatahi, me ngā koroheke o ngā iwi i waho atu o Te Arawa. Ehara i te mea he aha, heoi anō ki a au kāore kē he huarahi i tua atu i te kōrerorero-ā-tangata hei awhi i te rangahau o tēnei kaupapa. I pēnā ai te whakaaro nā te mea, ki a au ko te kīrehu he mea ka rangona i roto i ngā kōrerorero a te tangata, ā, he mea kāore e tino tuhituhi ana. Nā reira, i āta whakaaro au ko ngā wāhi kōrerorero noa a te tangata pea, ngā wāhi pai kia rapu mai i ēnei tūmomo kōrero. Nā, i whāia tēnei huarahi e au, ā, i tino whai hua tēnei o ngā huarahi. I kitea, i rangona ētahi kōrero whakamārama me ētahi o ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa i konei. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, i rangona ngā whakaaro me ngā kōrero a ngā momo tāngata katoa, rangatahi mai, koroheke mai.
I tua atu i te kōrero tahi, arā anō ngā huarahi i whāia. I pūhia au e ngā hau kōhengihengi a Tāwhirimātea kia tae atu ki ngā tōpito katoa o Te Ika Roa a Māui; ki ngā whare pukapuka i Tāmaki, i Te Whanganui a Tara, i Kirikiriroa, i Pāmutana, i Rotorua. Hei aha? Hei āta rangahau i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa. I reira i kitea ngā rīpoata tawhito me ngā rīpoata hou, ngā kohinga kōrero o namata, o nāianei hoki, me ngā reta i tuhia e ngā rangatira i tērā rautau, me ngā rārangi pukapuka e pupuri ana ngā kōrero o mua. I haere au ki Te Kōti Whenua Māori i Rotorua ki te pānui ngā kōrero e whakaatu ana i te noho a te Māori i ngā rā o nehe, me ngā kōrero i whakatakotohia e rātou ki mua i te aroaro o te kōti. I roto i ēnei tuhinga e mau ana ētahi kīrehu i whakahua ake i te wā i hui ai ngā tūpuna mō te whenua te kaupapa. Kei aua wāhi nui anō, arā, kei Tāmaki me Te Whanga Nui a Tara, e puritia ana ētahi tēpa kei runga nei ngā kōrero a ngā rangatira kua whetūrangitia. I tonoa kia whakarongo pīkari aku taringa ki ēnei tēpa, ā, i puta mai ētahi kīrehu i aua tēpa rā.
Nā ēnei momo huarahi i taea ai te whakaemi me te whakakao i ngā whakaaro me ngā kōrero katoa o tēnei tuhinga, ā, te putanga atu, kua whakarārangihia ngā kōrero, ngā whakaaro me ngā kīrehu i kitea mai, i rangona mai, i puta mai. 
Heoi anō, kāore te wai i marino i ngā wā katoa. I ētahi wā ka tae mai he raruraru, he uauatanga hei whakapakeke i te ara, he ngārara rānei hei whakapae i te huarahi. Ka pōuri te manawa nā te mea kāore au i whai wāhi ki te kōrero ki a Irirangi Tiakiawa rāua ko Tāmati Wharehuia i mua i tō rāua wehenga. I te whakatikatika au i a au anō ki te kōrero ki a Irirangi kātahi ia ka mate. Ka whakatika anō au ki te kōrero ki a Tāmati, ā, ka mate hoki tērā. Kāore e kore he kōrero, he mōhiotanga ā rāua hei whakamōmona i te tuhinga nei, engari e taea te pēhea? Ko tēnei mea te mate e kore e taea te karo, engari, i runga i tēnā āhua, kei te tangi tonu te mapu, kei te pōuri tonu te manawa.
I tua atu i tēnā, ka raruraru au i te korenga ōku e tino kite ngā kīrehu i roto i ngā tuhinga a te tangata. E tika ana te whakaaro, kāore ngā kīrehu e tino tuhituhi ana. I kitea ētahi i roto i ngā tuhinga, engari me uaua ka kitea mai ērā. E hia kē ngā hāora i whakapaua e au kia rapua mai ngā kīrehu e huna ana i roto i ngā pukapuka, i ngā reta, otirā i ngā momo tuhinga katoa a te tangata.
Ahakoa ēnei, he nui ngā painga i puta mai ki a au i roto i tēnei mahi rangahau. Ka mīharo katoa te kōrero tahi me ngā koroheke, i reira i āta rangona te reo o ngā mata o te ao kōhatu, me kī, te reo tuauriuri whāioio. I puta mai i a rātou ngā whakaaro tūturu o te hinengaro Māori tūturu hei awhi i te hanga o tēnei mahi rangahau. I pai anō rā taku haere ki te Whare Pukapuka o Turnbull i reira e pupuri ana ngā kōrero me ngā whakaahua a tua whakarere. I ētahi wā, nā te nui o ngā momo tuhinga Māori ātaahua i roto i taua whare pukapuka, ka titi taku haere ki kaupapa kē. Ahakoa i reira au mō te wiki kotahi, kāore rawa i oti i a au ngā tuhinga i hiahia au ki te pānui. Ko tētahi atu mea pai i puta mai ki a au i roto i tēnei mahi rangahau, ko te akoako i ētahi kīrehu, i ētahi kīwaha me ētahi whakataukī hou hei whakamahi māku i ngā wā e kōrero Māori ana au, me te whēkite o ētahi tuhinga Māori kāore anō au kia kite noa.
Heoi anō hei whakakapi i tēnei wāhanga, i hangaia mai tēnei pūtoi kīrehu hei whakaara ake i ngā kīrehu o Te Arawa ki Rotorua ka tahi, hei hua mā te hunga e ako ana i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua kia whai kupu tō rātou reo ka rua, hei whakahoki i ngā pātai i toko ake ai i te wā e whakaaroarohia ana tēnei kaupapa ka toru. Ināianei ka riro mā ngā kōrero, mā ngā tuhinga me ngā whakaaro kei te whai mai e whakatinana te kaupapa o tēnei mahi rangahau.

year: 1999

title: Does invasiveness predict competition outcomes between ecologically similar invasive blowflies?

authors: Nunn, Daniel

abstract: Biological invasion is a complex puzzle, and its significance is at an all-time high. Current research highlights that the success of invasive species is partly due to their superior performance in key behavioural traits, such as aggression and boldness, especially when compared to ecologically similar native species. However, less attention has been given to differences in these traits among invasive species themselves. Not all invaders are created equal; they vary in their degree of invasiveness, often characterised by the extent of their global spread. If behavioural traits are crucial for invasiveness, it stands to reason that more invasive species - those with greater success - should outperform less invasive ones.

I tested this hypothesis using larval competition between differentially invasive blowfly species. Calliphora stygia has a limited distribution, found only in Australia and New Zealand, whereas Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina (Lucilia spp.) are invaders with almost global distributions. Under direct laboratory competition, the highly invasive Lucilia spp. exhibited fewer body size reductions than C. stygia, regardless of intra- or interspecific competition levels. These findings suggest that competitive traits may exist along a continuum from native to invasive species, increasing predictably with invasiveness. This insight highlights invasiveness as a potentially reliable metric for predicting competition outcomes between ecologically similar sympatric invaders.

text: Does invasiveness predict competition outcomes between ecologically similar invasive blowflies? Biological invasion is a complex puzzle, and its significance is at an all-time high. Current research highlights that the success of invasive species is partly due to their superior performance in key behavioural traits, such as aggression and boldness, especially when compared to ecologically similar native species. However, less attention has been given to differences in these traits among invasive species themselves. Not all invaders are created equal; they vary in their degree of invasiveness, often characterised by the extent of their global spread. If behavioural traits are crucial for invasiveness, it stands to reason that more invasive species - those with greater success - should outperform less invasive ones.

I tested this hypothesis using larval competition between differentially invasive blowfly species. Calliphora stygia has a limited distribution, found only in Australia and New Zealand, whereas Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina (Lucilia spp.) are invaders with almost global distributions. Under direct laboratory competition, the highly invasive Lucilia spp. exhibited fewer body size reductions than C. stygia, regardless of intra- or interspecific competition levels. These findings suggest that competitive traits may exist along a continuum from native to invasive species, increasing predictably with invasiveness. This insight highlights invasiveness as a potentially reliable metric for predicting competition outcomes between ecologically similar sympatric invaders.

year: 2024