title: Mitochondrial DNA genomes of five major Helicoverpa pest species from the Old and New Worlds (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

authors: Walsh, Tom K.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Five   species of  noctuid moths, Helicoverpa armigera, H. punctigera, H. assulta, H. zea,and H. gelotopoeon, are major    agricultural pests   inhabiting various and  often   over  ‐lapping global    distributions. Visual     identification of  these    species requires a  great   deal   of  expertise and  misidentification can  have   repercussions for  pest   managementand   agricultural biosecurity. Here,    we   report on   the   complete mitochondrial ge ‐nomes of H. assulta assulta and H. assulta afra, H. gelotopoeon,  H. punctigera,  H. zea, and H. armigera armigeraand H. armigera conferta’assembled from   high‐throughputsequencing data.    This   study    significantly increases the   mitogenome resources for  these   five   agricultural pests    with   sequences assembled from   across    different conti   ‐nents,     including an H. armigeraindividual collected from  an invasive population in Brazil. We   infer    the   phylogenetic relationships of  these    five Helicoverpa speciesbased    on   the   13   mitochondrial DNA    protein‐coding genes    (PCG's) and   show    that   two   publicly available mitogenomes of H. assulta (KP015198 and   KR149448) have   been    misidentified or  incorrectly assembled. We   further consolidate existing PCR‐RFLP    methods to  cover    all   five Helicoverpa pest   species, providing an  updatedmethod that   will   contribute to  species differentiation and   to  future     monitoring ef ‐forts    of Helicoverpa pest    species across     different continents. We   discuss the   value   of Helicoverpa mitogenomes to  assist    with   species identification in  view   of  the   con  ‐text   of  the   rapid    spread of H. armigera in the  New   World.     With   this   work,    we  providethe   molecular resources necessary for   future    studies of  the   evolutionary history and  ecology of these species.

text: Mitochondrial DNA genomes of five major Helicoverpa pest species from the Old and New Worlds (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Five   species of  noctuid moths, Helicoverpa armigera, H. punctigera, H. assulta, H. zea,and H. gelotopoeon, are major    agricultural pests   inhabiting various and  often   over  ‐lapping global    distributions. Visual     identification of  these    species requires a  great   deal   of  expertise and  misidentification can  have   repercussions for  pest   managementand   agricultural biosecurity. Here,    we   report on   the   complete mitochondrial ge ‐nomes of H. assulta assulta and H. assulta afra, H. gelotopoeon,  H. punctigera,  H. zea, and H. armigera armigeraand H. armigera conferta’assembled from   high‐throughputsequencing data.    This   study    significantly increases the   mitogenome resources for  these   five   agricultural pests    with   sequences assembled from   across    different conti   ‐nents,     including an H. armigeraindividual collected from  an invasive population in Brazil. We   infer    the   phylogenetic relationships of  these    five Helicoverpa speciesbased    on   the   13   mitochondrial DNA    protein‐coding genes    (PCG's) and   show    that   two   publicly available mitogenomes of H. assulta (KP015198 and   KR149448) have   been    misidentified or  incorrectly assembled. We   further consolidate existing PCR‐RFLP    methods to  cover    all   five Helicoverpa pest   species, providing an  updatedmethod that   will   contribute to  species differentiation and   to  future     monitoring ef ‐forts    of Helicoverpa pest    species across     different continents. We   discuss the   value   of Helicoverpa mitogenomes to  assist    with   species identification in  view   of  the   con  ‐text   of  the   rapid    spread of H. armigera in the  New   World.     With   this   work,    we  providethe   molecular resources necessary for   future    studies of  the   evolutionary history and  ecology of these species.

year: 2019-03-01

title: Littoral sediment budget and beach morphodynamics, Pukehina Beach to Matata, Bay of Plenty

authors: Phizacklea, David Jonathan Dominic

subjects: coast changes

abstract: The Pukehina-Matata coastal sector is one of the least studied parts of the Bay of Plenty coastline. Currently this section of coast is in a stable, tending towards erosive, condition, with historical erosion of 0-0.2 m/year.
Sediment mineralogy reflects the high input of quartzo-feldspathic material into the beach-dune-nearshore system. For the Otamarakau-Matata sector much of the sediment is provided from fluvial sources, predominantly the Waitahanui, Pikowai, and Herepuru streams, although the total stream input in this area is only 3,000 to 7,000 m³ per year. The sources of beach sand from Town Point to Otamarakau includes some erosion of catchment material, supplemented by littoral drift, erosion of submarine rock outcrops in the Town Point-Otamarakau region, and possible onshore reworking of pre-Holocene sediments.
The greywacke gravels present within the littoral system, especially between Rodgers Road and Pukehina, are relict deposits, which are presently active within the beach-dune-nearshore system due to the small volume transfers of sandy sediments. Their original source, is suggested as from marine erosion of Castlecliffian sediments, such as exposed in the coastal cliffs at Matata.
Net littoral drift is suggested as bi-directional from a centre-point near Otamarakau, to both the north-east along Pukehina Spit, and to the south-west towards Matata. Some counter-drift occurs between the Tarawera River mouth and Matata, and along the tip of Pukehina Spit, with nourishment of this area by the Waihi estuary.
Nearshore sedimentary-morphodynamic units show that the nearshore and inner-shelf at Town Point, and from southern Pukehina Beach to Otamarakau, is characterised by the presence of numerous rock outcrops, which are responsible for the coarse sands and relatively higher carbonate abundances in this area.
Sediment volumes within the beach-nearshore system, and alongshore transfers between sectors of the coast are small, with annual net littoral drift estimated as 15,000 m³ at Matata. Diabathic processes are considered to dominate, with the limit of significant onshore-offshore sediment transport no more than 12 m, and a parabathic limit of less than 6 m.
The net change in sediment volume for the entire beach system within the Pukehina-Matata coastal sector between 1989 and 1993, produced a calculated deficit of sediment of 90,570 m³. In comparison a longer-term change, between 1978 and 1993, showed a sediment surplus of 218, 560 m³. Over the Pukehina-Matata coastal sector these volume changes are reasonably small and their variability reflects both the dynamic nature, and the delicate state of equilibrium, of the beach-dune-nearshore system. The derived littoral sediment budget shows that in order to balance the inputs and outputs within the system approximately 27,400 m³ of annual onshore
sediment transport must occur. Current sand extraction at Otamarakau has resulted in a decline in the beach sediment volumes between Otamarakau and Pikowai, with this sector in a sediment deficit. Although natural processes mask the true impacts, the increased sand extraction rate of 36,000 m³ per year is liable to further deplete the beach-dunenearshore system. However, in the short-term these effects are unlikely to be immediately noticeable.

text: Littoral sediment budget and beach morphodynamics, Pukehina Beach to Matata, Bay of Plenty The Pukehina-Matata coastal sector is one of the least studied parts of the Bay of Plenty coastline. Currently this section of coast is in a stable, tending towards erosive, condition, with historical erosion of 0-0.2 m/year.
Sediment mineralogy reflects the high input of quartzo-feldspathic material into the beach-dune-nearshore system. For the Otamarakau-Matata sector much of the sediment is provided from fluvial sources, predominantly the Waitahanui, Pikowai, and Herepuru streams, although the total stream input in this area is only 3,000 to 7,000 m³ per year. The sources of beach sand from Town Point to Otamarakau includes some erosion of catchment material, supplemented by littoral drift, erosion of submarine rock outcrops in the Town Point-Otamarakau region, and possible onshore reworking of pre-Holocene sediments.
The greywacke gravels present within the littoral system, especially between Rodgers Road and Pukehina, are relict deposits, which are presently active within the beach-dune-nearshore system due to the small volume transfers of sandy sediments. Their original source, is suggested as from marine erosion of Castlecliffian sediments, such as exposed in the coastal cliffs at Matata.
Net littoral drift is suggested as bi-directional from a centre-point near Otamarakau, to both the north-east along Pukehina Spit, and to the south-west towards Matata. Some counter-drift occurs between the Tarawera River mouth and Matata, and along the tip of Pukehina Spit, with nourishment of this area by the Waihi estuary.
Nearshore sedimentary-morphodynamic units show that the nearshore and inner-shelf at Town Point, and from southern Pukehina Beach to Otamarakau, is characterised by the presence of numerous rock outcrops, which are responsible for the coarse sands and relatively higher carbonate abundances in this area.
Sediment volumes within the beach-nearshore system, and alongshore transfers between sectors of the coast are small, with annual net littoral drift estimated as 15,000 m³ at Matata. Diabathic processes are considered to dominate, with the limit of significant onshore-offshore sediment transport no more than 12 m, and a parabathic limit of less than 6 m.
The net change in sediment volume for the entire beach system within the Pukehina-Matata coastal sector between 1989 and 1993, produced a calculated deficit of sediment of 90,570 m³. In comparison a longer-term change, between 1978 and 1993, showed a sediment surplus of 218, 560 m³. Over the Pukehina-Matata coastal sector these volume changes are reasonably small and their variability reflects both the dynamic nature, and the delicate state of equilibrium, of the beach-dune-nearshore system. The derived littoral sediment budget shows that in order to balance the inputs and outputs within the system approximately 27,400 m³ of annual onshore
sediment transport must occur. Current sand extraction at Otamarakau has resulted in a decline in the beach sediment volumes between Otamarakau and Pikowai, with this sector in a sediment deficit. Although natural processes mask the true impacts, the increased sand extraction rate of 36,000 m³ per year is liable to further deplete the beach-dunenearshore system. However, in the short-term these effects are unlikely to be immediately noticeable.

year: 1993

title: Assessment of fish populations in Lake Horowhenua, Levin

authors: Tempero, Grant Wayne

subjects: Lake Horowhenua

abstract: Lake Horowhenua (Waipunahau) is of substantial historical, cultural and recreational value to the people of the Horowhenua region. However, water quality and biodiversity within the lake has been in decline for a number of years. As part of lake restoration efforts by Horizons Regional Council and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees, a survey of fish species in Lake Horowhenua was conducted by the University of Waikato using boat electrofishing and fyke netting. A lake restoration plan had previously identified invasive fish species such as koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as being potential barriers to rehabilitation of the lake. The purpose of this survey was to determine the abundance and diversity of fish species within the lake and to ascertain if pest fish species were present at biomasses high enough to be negatively impacting on lake ecology. Recommendations would then be made as to the potential methods and necessity for pest fish removal.

text: Assessment of fish populations in Lake Horowhenua, Levin Lake Horowhenua (Waipunahau) is of substantial historical, cultural and recreational value to the people of the Horowhenua region. However, water quality and biodiversity within the lake has been in decline for a number of years. As part of lake restoration efforts by Horizons Regional Council and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees, a survey of fish species in Lake Horowhenua was conducted by the University of Waikato using boat electrofishing and fyke netting. A lake restoration plan had previously identified invasive fish species such as koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as being potential barriers to rehabilitation of the lake. The purpose of this survey was to determine the abundance and diversity of fish species within the lake and to ascertain if pest fish species were present at biomasses high enough to be negatively impacting on lake ecology. Recommendations would then be made as to the potential methods and necessity for pest fish removal.

year: 2013