What they do in the shadows : habitat utilisation and diet of brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) adults within a high-density island population : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Exploring the complex interactions between an animal and its spatial environment can reveal much about its biology and behaviour and identify strategies to improve future management. Despite this, surprisingly little research has been undertaken in this field in respect to one of New Zealand’s most iconic endangered species, the brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). This thesis aims to produce the most comprehensive report to date of brown kiwi spatial behaviour, investigating the habitat utilisation of brown kiwi adults within a high-density population while they are active at night and when roosting during the day. Additionally, the study examines how habitat utilisation varies, and explores the likely drivers of brown kiwi spatial behaviour including food availability, social/reproductive cues, population demographics and environmental variables. Forty seven radio-tagged brown kiwi adults were tracked across a 1.2km2 study site on Ponui Island from March 2013 to February 2014. The utilisation of major habitat types (forest, scrub, pasture and swamp) by each bird was measured, plotted upon a generated habitat map, and compared to predicted rates based on habitat availability to assess habitat selection. To assess habitat selection while foraging, brown kiwi were tracked at night using radio telemetry and their positions estimated using a triangulation methodology. Exact bird locations were also recorded during the day to evaluate their roost habitat selection. Roost sites were also classified into four different types of roost (tree burrow, soil burrow, surface, swamp site). Brown kiwi faecal samples were collected over this time and compared with pitfall trap samples to analyse diet and identify spatial patterns in foraging behaviour. As hypothesised, brown kiwi selected forest habitat most often for both foraging and roosting, also choosing the more structurally stable tree and soil burrow shelter sites. Other habitat types were utilised much less than predicted, though rates varied between seasons, gullies, demographics and behaviours. Pasture was identified as seasonally important for brown kiwi, utilised increasingly by study birds over summer and autumn when foraging. Additionally, a relationship between their spatial behaviour while foraging and while roosting was recognised for the first time, suggesting that these behaviours are not independent. Invertebrate availability was identified as the primary driver of brown kiwi spatial behaviour, with foraging behaviour trends closely matching nocturnal spatial behaviour. Social and breeding behaviours were discussed as other potential drivers, though further research is required to fully understand these relationships. Research findings confirmed that brown kiwi have an opportunistic diet, appearing to select those invertebrate groups that provide the highest protein input more often in their diet. Foraging strategy changed between seasons and locations, likely driven by a combination of changing invertebrate lifecycles, environmental conditions and dietary requirements. This study has improved our understanding of brown kiwi spatial behaviour, introducing new information and refining previous knowledge. The findings provide valuable information for managers as they work to conserve remaining brown kiwi populations, and will become increasingly relevant in the future as population densities begin to rise

Future of Thailand's captive elephants: commentary on Baker & Winkler on elephant rewilding

Removal from natural habitat and commodification as private property compromise elephants’ broader societal value. Although we support Baker & Winkler’s (2020) plea for a new community-based rewilding conservation model focused on mahout culture, we recommend an expanded co-management approach to complement and enhance the regional elephant conservation strategy with additional local community stakeholders and the potential to extend across international borders into suitable elephant habitat. Holistic co-management approaches improve human wellbeing and social cohesion, as well as elephant wellbeing, thereby better securing long-term survival of Asian elephants, environmental justice, and overall sustainability

Why do ICDPs fail? The relationship between subsistence farming, poaching and eco- tourism in wildlife and habitat conservation

In this paper we investigate the reasons why integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) fail to achieve their conservation goals. We develop a bio-economic model of open access land and wildlife exploitation, which is consistent with many farming and hunting societies living in close proximity to forest reserves in developing countries. We show that the ICDP creates incentives to conserve habitat and wildlife, but, in general, the socially optimal level of conservation cannot be achieved, because of externalities among the local communities. We show how a social planner can achieve the socially optimal levels of habitat and wildlife by a more encompassing tax/subsidy regime.bio-economic modelling, competing land-use, ecotourism, integrated conservation and development projects, poaching, wildlife and habitat conservation

Social feasibility assessment for establishing habitat areas using built structures in Austin, Texas

textThis thesis is as social feasibility assessment for establishing habitat areas using parking garages in Austin, Texas. The research does not propose a design solution, but seeks to understand key stakeholder perceptions towards the establishment of habitat areas. A constructivist epistemological approach is the foundational framework for this research, supported by literature in regenerative architecture, civic environmentalism, and urban ecology. Through interviewing multiple stakeholders on the goals, opportunities, barriers, and benefits for using built structures as habitat areas, as well as researching local governance and costs structures, the social feasibility is uncovered. In the interview process respondents brought up themes, which are categorized into two broad groups, noted as habitat and social characteristics. Species mentioned by respondents are combined within the habitat characteristics category, and the topics primarily focus on functionally suitable systems for Austin’s current, and future climate scenarios. Within the social category, the need for increased public education on the opportunities and benefits for establishing habitat areas, better coordination among habitat focused groups, and increased municipal financial supports, are the primary subjects discussed. Overall, the conclusion of this research outlines potential future research opportunities to further understand the social feasibility for establishing habitat areas, using built structures, in Austin, Texas.Architectur

Community Resilience in Overcoming Untidiness Due to the Flood in Kemijen Village Semarang

Reduction targets slum area in Indonesia today, leaving 12% of urban areas or the equivalent of 7.2 million households alleviation of untidiness. Whereas national goal is 0% urban slums will be gone in 2019. When referring to the World Habitat Day (World Habitat Agenda, 2014), said that the organized settlement of, for and by the people themselves. Rob disasters often occur in the city, where from April to May of 2011, Rob has been flooded several coastal areas of Semarang and rob a height between 50 cm to 100 cm. This research aims to identify the role of the community in addressing slum housing. Using qualitative and quantitative analysis methods and conduct an in-dept interview through direct observation, questionnaires and interviews to the population in Kemijen Semarang City. This study found a form of structuring a slum by the ability of the community that is the power of social, economic and physical called ‗Tri-Daya‘ Concept, through the action plan stage of necessary community development stage

Management of social production of habitat

Construir abordajes adecuados para la gestión de la producción social del hábitat pasa por reconocer la naturaleza compleja del hábitat social en tanto sistema de situaciones en interacción con otros sistemas. Pasa igualmente por asumir la complejidad de sus procesos de producción, fuertemente determinados en su concepción, desarrollo y resultados por la mayor o menor presencia de cada uno de los grupos de actores afectados y sus respectivos paradigmas culturales. En este contexto la cuestión de la formación de los técnicos emerge como un vector fundamental de cara al acierto en el enfoque de la producción del hábitat, cuyo nivel de complejidad puede exigir un tránsito no sólo desde la actuación unidisciplinar a la transdisciplinar, sino hacia una gestión de naturaleza transectorial. Ello implica construir modelos de gestión participativa y concertada que nos remiten, más allá del plano técnico y político, a un nuevo e ineludible grado de conciencia sobre las implicaciones sociales y ambientales de la producción del hábitat.The construction of adequate approaches for the management of social production of habitat depends upon recognition of the complex nature of social habitat as being a system of situations in interaction with other systems and with other situations. It equally depends upon the acceptance of the complexity of their production processes, which are largely determined in the design, development and results by the degree of presence of each group of actors involved and their respective cultural paradigms. In this context, the question of technician training emerges as a fundamental vector with a view to the skill and commitment of every actor in the approach of production of habitat, whose level of complexity can demand a transfer not only from uni-disciplinary action into trans-disciplinary action, but also towards management of a trans-sectorial nature. This implies constructing models of participative and harmonized management which refer us, beyond the technical and political level, to a new and inescapable degree of awareness about social and environmental implications of production of habitat

Life path analysis: scaling indicates priming effects of social and habitat factors on dispersal distances

1. Movements of many animals along a life-path can be separated into repetitive ones within home ranges and transitions between home ranges. We sought relationships of social and environmental factors with initiation and distance of transition movements in 114 buzzards Buteo buteo that were marked as nestlings with long-life radio tags. 2. Ex-natal dispersal movements of 51 buzzards in autumn were longer than for 30 later in their first year and than 35 extra-natal movements between home ranges after leaving nest areas. In the second and third springs, distances moved from winter focal points by birds that paired were the same or less than for unpaired birds. No post-nuptial movement exceeded 2 km. 3. Initiation of early ex-natal dispersal was enhanced by presence of many sibs, but also by lack of worm-rich loam soils. Distances travelled were greatest for birds from small broods and with relatively little short grass-feeding habitat near the nest. Later movements were generally enhanced by the absence of loam soils and short grassland, especially with abundance of other buzzards and probable poor feeding habitats (heathland, long grass). 4. Buzzards tended to persist in their first autumn where arable land was abundant, but subsequently showed a strong tendency to move from this habitat. 5. Factors that acted most strongly in ½-km buffers round nests, or round subsequent focal points, usually promoted movement compared with factors acting at a larger scale. Strong relationships between movement distances and environmental characteristics in ½-km buffers, especially during early ex-natal dispersal, suggested that buzzards became primed by these factors to travel far. 6. Movements were also farthest for buzzards that had already moved far from their natal nests, perhaps reflecting genetic predisposition, long-term priming or poor habitat beyond the study area

Optimal Economic Landscapes with Habitat Fragmentation Effects

Habitat fragmentation is widely considered a primary threat to biodiversity. This paper develops a theoretical model of land use to analyze the optimal conservation of landscapes when land quality is spatially heterogeneous and wildlife habitat is fragmented and socially valuable. When agriculture is the primary cause of fragmentation, we show that reforestation efforts should be targeted to the most fragmented landscapes with an aggregate share of forest equal to a threshold, defined by the ratio of the opportunity cost of conversion to the social value of core forest. When urban development is the primary cause of fragmentation, we show how spatial heterogeneity in amenities and household neighbor preferences affect the optimal landscape and the design of land-use policies.Land Economics/Use,

Nest-Site Selection by Female Black-Capped Chickadees: Settlement Based on Conspecific Attraction?

Female Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) solicit extrapair copulations (EPCs) from neighboring high-ranking males, and these EPCs result in extrapair young. Females might choose to locate their nests near the territory boundaries of attractive males to facilitate access to EPCs. Other hypotheses might also explain choice of nest site, namely (1) habitat characteristics, (2) prey abundance, and (3) previous experience. We tested these four hypotheses in 1996 and 1997. Out of 27 habitat characteristics measured, we found only one that was significantly different between nests and control sites in both years. The abundance of large trees was lower at nest sites than at control sites in each year and when years were pooled. Relative prey abundance did not differ between nests and control sites for either year of the study. We found no different in interyear nest placement based on female experience; experienced females nester farther than 60 m from their previous nest sites in both years of the study. In 1996, females whose neighboring males were higher ranked than their social partner located their nests significantly closer to territory boundaries than did females whose nearest neighbors were lower ranked than their social partner. In 1997, all pairs nested near territory boundaries. We conclude that choice of nest location in Black-capped Chickadees is influenced by conspecific attraction based on mating tactics

Epilogue

The Environmental Responsibility Reader is a definitive collection of classic and contemporary environmental works that offers a comprehensive overview of the issues involved in environmental responsibility, steering the reader through each development in thought with a unifying and expert editorial voice. This essential text expertly explores seemingly intractable modern-day environmental dilemmas - including climate change, fossil fuel consumption, fresh water quality, industrial pollution, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss. Starting with "Silent Spring" and moving through to more recent works the book draws on contemporary ideas of environmental ethics, corporate social responsibility, ecological justice, fair trade, global citizenship, and the connections between environmental and social justice; configuring these ideas into practical notions for responsible action with a unique global and integral focus on responsibility