title: Consistent predator-prey biomass scaling in complex food webs

authors: Perkins, Daniel M.

subjects: Animals

abstract: The ratio of predator-to-prey biomass is a key element of trophic structure that is typically investigated from a food chain perspective, ignoring channels of energy transfer (e.g. omnivory) that may govern community structure. Here, we address this shortcoming by characterising the biomass structure of 141 freshwater, marine and terrestrial food webs, spanning a broad gradient in community biomass. We test whether sub-linear scaling between predator and prey biomass (a potential signal of density-dependent processes) emerges within ecosystem types and across levels of biological organisation. We find a consistent, sub-linear scaling pattern whereby predator biomass scales with the total biomass of their prey with a near ¾-power exponent within food webs - i.e. more prey biomass supports proportionally less predator biomass. Across food webs, a similar sub-linear scaling pattern emerges between total predator biomass and the combined biomass of all prey within a food web. These general patterns in trophic structure are compatible with a systematic form of density dependence that holds among complex feeding interactions across levels of organization, irrespective of ecosystem type.

text: Consistent predator-prey biomass scaling in complex food webs The ratio of predator-to-prey biomass is a key element of trophic structure that is typically investigated from a food chain perspective, ignoring channels of energy transfer (e.g. omnivory) that may govern community structure. Here, we address this shortcoming by characterising the biomass structure of 141 freshwater, marine and terrestrial food webs, spanning a broad gradient in community biomass. We test whether sub-linear scaling between predator and prey biomass (a potential signal of density-dependent processes) emerges within ecosystem types and across levels of biological organisation. We find a consistent, sub-linear scaling pattern whereby predator biomass scales with the total biomass of their prey with a near ¾-power exponent within food webs - i.e. more prey biomass supports proportionally less predator biomass. Across food webs, a similar sub-linear scaling pattern emerges between total predator biomass and the combined biomass of all prey within a food web. These general patterns in trophic structure are compatible with a systematic form of density dependence that holds among complex feeding interactions across levels of organization, irrespective of ecosystem type.

year: 2022-08-25

title: Ventriloquism as early literacy practice: making meaning in pretend play

authors: Bateman, Amanda

subjects: pretend play

abstract: This article discusses how children in New Zealand make meaning in their spontaneous pretend play from kindergarten (four years old) through to their first year of primary school (five years old). The findings discussed here are taken from a wider project investigating children’s storytelling where 12 child participants were video recorded during their everyday storytelling experiences over a three-year period. This article reveals how children’s engagement in pretend play often involves playing out an impromptu storyline where ventriloquism is used to talk objects into life through paralinguistic features such as gesture, gaze and voice prosody. These findings suggest that through the act of ventriloquism in pretend play children learn to engage in complex meaning making activities in playful ways, orally formulating characters and building coherent and systematic storylines that can be identified as early literacy practices.

text: Ventriloquism as early literacy practice: making meaning in pretend play This article discusses how children in New Zealand make meaning in their spontaneous pretend play from kindergarten (four years old) through to their first year of primary school (five years old). The findings discussed here are taken from a wider project investigating children’s storytelling where 12 child participants were video recorded during their everyday storytelling experiences over a three-year period. This article reveals how children’s engagement in pretend play often involves playing out an impromptu storyline where ventriloquism is used to talk objects into life through paralinguistic features such as gesture, gaze and voice prosody. These findings suggest that through the act of ventriloquism in pretend play children learn to engage in complex meaning making activities in playful ways, orally formulating characters and building coherent and systematic storylines that can be identified as early literacy practices.

year: 2016

title: Developing culturally responsive psychology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Wairoa-Harrison, Sophia

abstract: There are some significant wins in the development of a culturally competent undergraduate psychology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand. These include how Mātauranga Māori is incorporated into research methodology papers, neuroimaging papers, and degree offerings. However, the number of specifically Māori-focused papers has halved since 2007. Further research is needed to gauge students' experiences of the quality of cultural competency in these papers.

text: Developing culturally responsive psychology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand There are some significant wins in the development of a culturally competent undergraduate psychology curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand. These include how Mātauranga Māori is incorporated into research methodology papers, neuroimaging papers, and degree offerings. However, the number of specifically Māori-focused papers has halved since 2007. Further research is needed to gauge students' experiences of the quality of cultural competency in these papers.

year: 2023-02-01