title: Examining the incorporation of small-scale recurring disasters in emergency management frameworks: Insights from Aotearoa-New Zealand

authors: Tennakoon, Kishani

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Risks pertaining to small-scale recurring disasters are generally not considered by emergency management policies. While their impacts are not immediately recognisable, their recurrent manifestation may result in cumulative as well as indirect impacts. Yet, small-scale recurring disasters both remain under-studied in disaster studies and are often not incorporated in disaster planning and policy. This paper contributes to filling this gap in knowledge by investigating the extent to which the emergency management framework of Aotearoa-New Zealand addresses small-scale recurring disasters through a targeted analysis of high-order policy documents. The findings confirm the incomplete reflection of risk identification related to small-scale recurring disasters in the documents analyzed. The paper reaffirms that small-scale recurring disasters should be more explicitly integrated in disaster management policy regimes to eliminate the differences at the lower administrative levels of risk treatment. It also argues for the re-evaluation of short-term solutions (such as insurance coverage) that only improve recovery outcomes temporarily, and the consideration of long-term risk reduction policies for achieving more sustainable recovery outcomes.

text: Examining the incorporation of small-scale recurring disasters in emergency management frameworks: Insights from Aotearoa-New Zealand Risks pertaining to small-scale recurring disasters are generally not considered by emergency management policies. While their impacts are not immediately recognisable, their recurrent manifestation may result in cumulative as well as indirect impacts. Yet, small-scale recurring disasters both remain under-studied in disaster studies and are often not incorporated in disaster planning and policy. This paper contributes to filling this gap in knowledge by investigating the extent to which the emergency management framework of Aotearoa-New Zealand addresses small-scale recurring disasters through a targeted analysis of high-order policy documents. The findings confirm the incomplete reflection of risk identification related to small-scale recurring disasters in the documents analyzed. The paper reaffirms that small-scale recurring disasters should be more explicitly integrated in disaster management policy regimes to eliminate the differences at the lower administrative levels of risk treatment. It also argues for the re-evaluation of short-term solutions (such as insurance coverage) that only improve recovery outcomes temporarily, and the consideration of long-term risk reduction policies for achieving more sustainable recovery outcomes.

year: 2021-10-07

title: Testing broadcast seeding methods to restore urban forests in the presence of seed predators

authors: Overdyck, Elizabeth

subjects: avian seed dispersal

abstract: Forest restoration in urban areas often occurs in isolation from remnant forest, limiting the chances for recolonization by native species. Plants with bird-dispersed seeds can be particularly vulnerable to dispersal limitation and regeneration can be further impeded by non-native seed predators. We used a factorial experiment to investigate broadcast seeding as a method to reintroduce trees with large seeds and fleshy fruits into early successional forests. We assessed rates of seed and fruit loss, germination and seedling establishment in three seed treatments: (1) caging to exclude introduced mammalian seed predators; (2) removal of fleshy fruit pericarp; and (3) placing seeds in nutritionally enriched clay balls. Across all species (Beilschmiedia tawa, Elaeocarpus dentatus, and Litsea calicaris) seeds and fruits accessible to mammalian predators suffered significantly greater loss (58%) than those protected by cages (4%). However, seed and fruit loss in the presence of predators was reduced to only 35% across all species by the treatment combining the removal of fruit flesh and clay ball application to seeds. Establishment of B. tawa seedlings after 1 year was significantly enhanced by the clay ball treatment (12% of seeds sown vs. 6% without clay balls). Very low establishment rates were recorded for E. dentatus and L. calicaris. Broadcast seeding was found to be a viable method of improving regeneration of large-seeded late successional trees and may be a cost-effective alternative to planting saplings. Seedling establishment can be improved with fruit flesh removal and clay ball treatments, especially in the presence of mammalian seed predators.

text: Testing broadcast seeding methods to restore urban forests in the presence of seed predators Forest restoration in urban areas often occurs in isolation from remnant forest, limiting the chances for recolonization by native species. Plants with bird-dispersed seeds can be particularly vulnerable to dispersal limitation and regeneration can be further impeded by non-native seed predators. We used a factorial experiment to investigate broadcast seeding as a method to reintroduce trees with large seeds and fleshy fruits into early successional forests. We assessed rates of seed and fruit loss, germination and seedling establishment in three seed treatments: (1) caging to exclude introduced mammalian seed predators; (2) removal of fleshy fruit pericarp; and (3) placing seeds in nutritionally enriched clay balls. Across all species (Beilschmiedia tawa, Elaeocarpus dentatus, and Litsea calicaris) seeds and fruits accessible to mammalian predators suffered significantly greater loss (58%) than those protected by cages (4%). However, seed and fruit loss in the presence of predators was reduced to only 35% across all species by the treatment combining the removal of fruit flesh and clay ball application to seeds. Establishment of B. tawa seedlings after 1 year was significantly enhanced by the clay ball treatment (12% of seeds sown vs. 6% without clay balls). Very low establishment rates were recorded for E. dentatus and L. calicaris. Broadcast seeding was found to be a viable method of improving regeneration of large-seeded late successional trees and may be a cost-effective alternative to planting saplings. Seedling establishment can be improved with fruit flesh removal and clay ball treatments, especially in the presence of mammalian seed predators.

year: 2013

title: Bilingual/immersion education in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Setting the context.

authors: May, Stephen

subjects: bilingual education

abstract: Introduction to a special issue of IJBEB, focusing on recent developments in bilingual/
immersion education in Aotearoa/New Zealand, particularly, but not solely,
Maori-medium education.

text: Bilingual/immersion education in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Setting the context. Introduction to a special issue of IJBEB, focusing on recent developments in bilingual/
immersion education in Aotearoa/New Zealand, particularly, but not solely,
Maori-medium education.

year: 2005-01-01