title: Control of pests in Lake catchments – the Department of Conservation’s perspective

authors: Fairweather, Alastair

abstract: A key part of the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) work is to ensure the diversity of New Zealand’s natural heritage is maintained and restored. However, is a huge task and DOC’s resources cannot stretch to do everything everywhere. DOC therefore has to make decisions about what work to do and not do, juggling limited resources while meeting both biodiversity and community needs.
To help make these decisions, DOC has developed the Natural Heritage Management System (NHMS) Programme which identifies the highest priority sites (both terrestrial and freshwater) that need to be protected and where work needs to be done. For NHMS to correctly identify the priority sites and what work it needs to be done at the sites, it relies on good information. For the freshwater sites, the data came out of the Freshwater Ecosystems of New Zealand (FENZ) dataset. This data set describes the environmental and biological patterns in NZ’s freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes and wetlands). Once priority sites have been identified, it is important to understand what pressures the sites face and what activities, including pest control, need to be undertaken to reduce these pressures.
In this presentation, the Rotorua lakes, with particular reference to Lake Okataina, will be placed in the context of this prioritisation process, the pressures they face and pest control activities DOC has identified as necessary to ensure the priority lakes are protected.

text: Control of pests in Lake catchments – the Department of Conservation’s perspective A key part of the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) work is to ensure the diversity of New Zealand’s natural heritage is maintained and restored. However, is a huge task and DOC’s resources cannot stretch to do everything everywhere. DOC therefore has to make decisions about what work to do and not do, juggling limited resources while meeting both biodiversity and community needs.
To help make these decisions, DOC has developed the Natural Heritage Management System (NHMS) Programme which identifies the highest priority sites (both terrestrial and freshwater) that need to be protected and where work needs to be done. For NHMS to correctly identify the priority sites and what work it needs to be done at the sites, it relies on good information. For the freshwater sites, the data came out of the Freshwater Ecosystems of New Zealand (FENZ) dataset. This data set describes the environmental and biological patterns in NZ’s freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes and wetlands). Once priority sites have been identified, it is important to understand what pressures the sites face and what activities, including pest control, need to be undertaken to reduce these pressures.
In this presentation, the Rotorua lakes, with particular reference to Lake Okataina, will be placed in the context of this prioritisation process, the pressures they face and pest control activities DOC has identified as necessary to ensure the priority lakes are protected.

year: 2015

title: Driving with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder: Influences of Demand and Arousal in Real Traffic

authors: Randell, Nastassia Jane Saviah

subjects: Driving

abstract: Previous research has indicated a critical role of task demand in determining driving outcomes amongst individuals with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These findings are derived predominantly from laboratory simulations. The objective of the present study therefore was to investigate the relationship between factors influencing demand and arousal in real traffic, and the performance of drivers medicated (n = 15) and unmedicated for ADHD (n = 12), compared to a control group (n = 17). Self-reported data relating to risky driving behaviours and driving history, and symptoms of ADHD in adulthood were collected. To determine the influence of demand on driving performance and errors, participants navigated a route incorporating rural, urban, residential, and highway environments. Relative to controls, unmedicated ADHD drivers employed fewer safe driving skills (p < .05), committed more inattentive (p < .05), and impatient driving errors (p < .01), and reported engaging in more frequent aggressive violations (p < .05). ADHD was associated with higher rates of crashes (p < .01) and multiple crashes (p = .05). Attesting to the efficacy of stimulant treatment, medicated ADHD driver performance in the present study was comparable to, if not better than controls. While unmedicated drivers undervalued the risk related to driving behaviours predictive of poor outcomes, medicated ADHD drivers largely overestimated the severity of their risky driving (p < .01). Demand was found to significantly impact the performance of unmedicated ADHD drivers particularly. Attention was best during high demand, urban driving. As environmental demand declined, more frequent attentional lapses occasioned increased impairment to performance (p < .01). Relative to drivers of automatic vehicles, high demand manual driving was linked with better hazard detection (p < .05) and overall performance (p < .05) amongst medicated drivers, and safer following distances amongst unmedicated ADHD drivers (p < .05). Apparently distinct driving styles were also revealed between ADHD subtypes. This is the first study to document the impact of factors influencing task demand on ADHD driver performance in real traffic. Further exploration of the present findings could prove fundamental for future strategies of behavioural intervention.

text: Driving with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder: Influences of Demand and Arousal in Real Traffic Previous research has indicated a critical role of task demand in determining driving outcomes amongst individuals with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These findings are derived predominantly from laboratory simulations. The objective of the present study therefore was to investigate the relationship between factors influencing demand and arousal in real traffic, and the performance of drivers medicated (n = 15) and unmedicated for ADHD (n = 12), compared to a control group (n = 17). Self-reported data relating to risky driving behaviours and driving history, and symptoms of ADHD in adulthood were collected. To determine the influence of demand on driving performance and errors, participants navigated a route incorporating rural, urban, residential, and highway environments. Relative to controls, unmedicated ADHD drivers employed fewer safe driving skills (p < .05), committed more inattentive (p < .05), and impatient driving errors (p < .01), and reported engaging in more frequent aggressive violations (p < .05). ADHD was associated with higher rates of crashes (p < .01) and multiple crashes (p = .05). Attesting to the efficacy of stimulant treatment, medicated ADHD driver performance in the present study was comparable to, if not better than controls. While unmedicated drivers undervalued the risk related to driving behaviours predictive of poor outcomes, medicated ADHD drivers largely overestimated the severity of their risky driving (p < .01). Demand was found to significantly impact the performance of unmedicated ADHD drivers particularly. Attention was best during high demand, urban driving. As environmental demand declined, more frequent attentional lapses occasioned increased impairment to performance (p < .01). Relative to drivers of automatic vehicles, high demand manual driving was linked with better hazard detection (p < .05) and overall performance (p < .05) amongst medicated drivers, and safer following distances amongst unmedicated ADHD drivers (p < .05). Apparently distinct driving styles were also revealed between ADHD subtypes. This is the first study to document the impact of factors influencing task demand on ADHD driver performance in real traffic. Further exploration of the present findings could prove fundamental for future strategies of behavioural intervention.

year: 2015

title: "He Matapihi ki te Mana Raraunga” - Conceptualising Big Data through a Māori lens

authors: Hudson, Maui

abstract: Advances in computer technology and analytical processes create an environment where data becomes the raw material mined to create valuable information and insights. The idea of Big Data emerges from the collation of increasing vast amounts of data enabled by the shift towards an increasingly open data environment. How this changing context alters the relationship between Iwi/Māori collectives and their mātauranga, cultural information and data has yet to be fully explored. However, the concept of Māori Data Sovereignty, which anticipates Māori governance over Māori data, has a natural appeal. This chapter outlines some of the Māori concepts and presents a framework which may be used to inform how data and data use may be conceptualised through a Māori cultural lens.

text: "He Matapihi ki te Mana Raraunga” - Conceptualising Big Data through a Māori lens Advances in computer technology and analytical processes create an environment where data becomes the raw material mined to create valuable information and insights. The idea of Big Data emerges from the collation of increasing vast amounts of data enabled by the shift towards an increasingly open data environment. How this changing context alters the relationship between Iwi/Māori collectives and their mātauranga, cultural information and data has yet to be fully explored. However, the concept of Māori Data Sovereignty, which anticipates Māori governance over Māori data, has a natural appeal. This chapter outlines some of the Māori concepts and presents a framework which may be used to inform how data and data use may be conceptualised through a Māori cultural lens.

year: 2017