title: Intra-propositional relations and their signalling: An investigation of authentic Māori texts

authors: Whaanga, Hēmi

subjects: Language & education

abstract: I report here on one part of a research project that involved the investigation of a range of authentic Māori texts in terms of two types of meaning relation – those that operate within propositions (‘intra-propositional relations’) and those that link propositions or groups of propositions (‘inter-propositional relations’). The focus here is on intra-propositional relations (relationships within propositions). On the basis of the comparison of a number of intra-propositional relational models, a new model which draws inspiration from the work of Crombie is proposed and applied to a corpus of texts written in Māori, the emphasis being on the ways in which these relations are signalled in Māori.

text: Intra-propositional relations and their signalling: An investigation of authentic Māori texts I report here on one part of a research project that involved the investigation of a range of authentic Māori texts in terms of two types of meaning relation – those that operate within propositions (‘intra-propositional relations’) and those that link propositions or groups of propositions (‘inter-propositional relations’). The focus here is on intra-propositional relations (relationships within propositions). On the basis of the comparison of a number of intra-propositional relational models, a new model which draws inspiration from the work of Crombie is proposed and applied to a corpus of texts written in Māori, the emphasis being on the ways in which these relations are signalled in Māori.

year: 2010

title: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2014

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

abstract: The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance by boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study, we present the findings from the eighth year of sampling (2014) and a summary of previous surveys.
We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 642 fish (11.3 kg) 11 sites on 9 December 2014, which comprised 2,914 lineal m and 11,656 m² in area. Koura and 4 fish species were present, with common bully most abundant (up to 27 fish 100 m⁻² at the site 5, edge habitat). Goldfish (up to 5.92 g m⁻²) was the next most abundant species, and was most abundant in sites 8-11 the lower channel, especially at site 11, the excavated side channel. Rainbow trout were next the most abundant species (up to 0.25 fish 100 m⁻² ). Mean bully biomass (5.25 g m⁻²) was much higher than for smelt (0.07 g m⁻²). Koura had a patchy distribution; 5 individuals were caught.
Comparing catches over the 8 years of sampling, the abundance of common bullies in 2014 (4.81 fish 100 m⁻²) was consistent with catch rates in most post-wall years (after 2007; range 0.81-5.72 fish 100 m⁻²), but lower than in 2013. The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by changes in water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD), water temperature, or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, suggesting that bully density estimates might decrease with decreasing BDD. However, common bully densities in 2012 and 2011 were inversely related BDD. In 2014, catches of smelt, a similar sized fish to bullies, were extremely low.
Goldfish biomass increased initially 2009 and 2010 because of targeted fishing in the excavated side channel (site 11), which has dense macrophyte beds that provide good habitat for goldfish. The continued rise in goldfish density from 2012 on suggests a real increase in goldfish numbers has occurred. Eels were scarce in the Ohau Channel and catches were very variable. Longfin eels were caught in most years, and in 2012 and 2013 shortfin eels were also caught, but in 2014 no eels were caught.
Analysis of fish densities before and after wall closure is hampered by the single data point before closure. However, we now have 7 years of post-wall data, and comparison of means and standard deviations suggest that the number of bullies has decreased.
An intriguing trend of decreasing rainbow trout densities with increasing BDD, which is a measure of both water clarity and phytoplankton abundance, has occurred following wall construction (Figure 3). The trend is opposite to the usual decline of catch rate by boat electrofishing with reduced water clarity. The explanation for this is not immediately clear, and could be increased avoidance of the electrofishing boat by trout in clearer water. It is also possible that reduced BDD indicates high algal productivity in Lake Rotorua, which in turn could increase trout abundance in the Ohau Channel. This remains to be tested

text: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2014 The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance by boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study, we present the findings from the eighth year of sampling (2014) and a summary of previous surveys.
We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 642 fish (11.3 kg) 11 sites on 9 December 2014, which comprised 2,914 lineal m and 11,656 m² in area. Koura and 4 fish species were present, with common bully most abundant (up to 27 fish 100 m⁻² at the site 5, edge habitat). Goldfish (up to 5.92 g m⁻²) was the next most abundant species, and was most abundant in sites 8-11 the lower channel, especially at site 11, the excavated side channel. Rainbow trout were next the most abundant species (up to 0.25 fish 100 m⁻² ). Mean bully biomass (5.25 g m⁻²) was much higher than for smelt (0.07 g m⁻²). Koura had a patchy distribution; 5 individuals were caught.
Comparing catches over the 8 years of sampling, the abundance of common bullies in 2014 (4.81 fish 100 m⁻²) was consistent with catch rates in most post-wall years (after 2007; range 0.81-5.72 fish 100 m⁻²), but lower than in 2013. The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by changes in water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD), water temperature, or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, suggesting that bully density estimates might decrease with decreasing BDD. However, common bully densities in 2012 and 2011 were inversely related BDD. In 2014, catches of smelt, a similar sized fish to bullies, were extremely low.
Goldfish biomass increased initially 2009 and 2010 because of targeted fishing in the excavated side channel (site 11), which has dense macrophyte beds that provide good habitat for goldfish. The continued rise in goldfish density from 2012 on suggests a real increase in goldfish numbers has occurred. Eels were scarce in the Ohau Channel and catches were very variable. Longfin eels were caught in most years, and in 2012 and 2013 shortfin eels were also caught, but in 2014 no eels were caught.
Analysis of fish densities before and after wall closure is hampered by the single data point before closure. However, we now have 7 years of post-wall data, and comparison of means and standard deviations suggest that the number of bullies has decreased.
An intriguing trend of decreasing rainbow trout densities with increasing BDD, which is a measure of both water clarity and phytoplankton abundance, has occurred following wall construction (Figure 3). The trend is opposite to the usual decline of catch rate by boat electrofishing with reduced water clarity. The explanation for this is not immediately clear, and could be increased avoidance of the electrofishing boat by trout in clearer water. It is also possible that reduced BDD indicates high algal productivity in Lake Rotorua, which in turn could increase trout abundance in the Ohau Channel. This remains to be tested

year: 2015

title: What is the past?

authors: Young, Benjamin David

subjects: presentism

abstract: This thesis explores the question: what is the past? I take up the radical view that the past exists, but the present and future do not. The four main theories of time have described the past in a variety of ways: Presentism says it is non-existent; eternalism describes it as on a par with the present and future; the growing block and moving spotlight views describe it as being ontologically on a par with the present or future, respectively. I investigate how these theories have addressed the nature of the past question using a logico-semantic approach, which generates ontological problems of absence because the past objects that statements about the past denote are absent from their ontologies. Presentism, which accepts that the past is non-existent, faces the greatest challenges concerning the past because it cannot account for the truthmaker of statements about the past. Eternalism, along with the growing block and moving spotlight views, must reconcile the significant differences in our experiences of the past, present, and future with their view that all or some of them are ontologically on a par. I consider the traditional logico-semantic approaches to responding to the nature of the past question and argue that actualist versions of presentism are ill-equipped to answer it. Of the theories of time that do not rely upon a logico-semantic analysis, four seem promising. Meinongian presentism, which argues that there is a non-existent past accepts an ontological response to the question of the past, but I argue that it incorrectly defines the point of contrast between the existent and the non-existent. Although eternalism, the growing block, and moving spotlight views can explain the ontological ground of references and truths about the past, we may question whether there is a past since these views treat its nature as ontologically on par with that of the present or future. This steers the investigation towards intentionality, the directedness of our thoughts toward objects. I analyse thoughts about the past, as well as those about the present and future to understand their nature and their relationship to an external mind-independent world. I argue that the past’s uniquely immutable nature differentiates it from the mutable present and future, and that immutability entails substantiveness, while mutability entails nonsubstantiveness. The past’s substantive nature entails its existence while the nonsubstantiveness of the present and future entail their non-existence.

text: What is the past? This thesis explores the question: what is the past? I take up the radical view that the past exists, but the present and future do not. The four main theories of time have described the past in a variety of ways: Presentism says it is non-existent; eternalism describes it as on a par with the present and future; the growing block and moving spotlight views describe it as being ontologically on a par with the present or future, respectively. I investigate how these theories have addressed the nature of the past question using a logico-semantic approach, which generates ontological problems of absence because the past objects that statements about the past denote are absent from their ontologies. Presentism, which accepts that the past is non-existent, faces the greatest challenges concerning the past because it cannot account for the truthmaker of statements about the past. Eternalism, along with the growing block and moving spotlight views, must reconcile the significant differences in our experiences of the past, present, and future with their view that all or some of them are ontologically on a par. I consider the traditional logico-semantic approaches to responding to the nature of the past question and argue that actualist versions of presentism are ill-equipped to answer it. Of the theories of time that do not rely upon a logico-semantic analysis, four seem promising. Meinongian presentism, which argues that there is a non-existent past accepts an ontological response to the question of the past, but I argue that it incorrectly defines the point of contrast between the existent and the non-existent. Although eternalism, the growing block, and moving spotlight views can explain the ontological ground of references and truths about the past, we may question whether there is a past since these views treat its nature as ontologically on par with that of the present or future. This steers the investigation towards intentionality, the directedness of our thoughts toward objects. I analyse thoughts about the past, as well as those about the present and future to understand their nature and their relationship to an external mind-independent world. I argue that the past’s uniquely immutable nature differentiates it from the mutable present and future, and that immutability entails substantiveness, while mutability entails nonsubstantiveness. The past’s substantive nature entails its existence while the nonsubstantiveness of the present and future entail their non-existence.

year: 2024