Evaluation of vegetation and stream health within sites supported by the Hamilton City Council Plants for Gullies Programme

Between August 2012 and March 2013, the Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, conducted a survey of randomly selected Hamilton gully sites which had received plants from the Hamilton City Council’s Plants for Gullies Programme. This survey assessed recent plantings, existing gully vegetation and stream health, along with property owner awareness and engagement with the key restoration principles. The Plants for Gullies Programme has been extremely well received by the Hamilton community and gully owners. Survey participants were actively restoring their gully sites with the most common goal (c. 40%) being the establishment of native plant dominance within 10 years. Gully owners have a good understanding of restoration theory and practise; on average, plant placement in the gullies scored 15.7 out of 20 with consideration of plant environmental requirements and the concept of ecosourcing was understood by c. 76% of landowners surveyed. Also, most of the interviewed participants (c. 80%) were active in seeking guidance from other gullies, often through organised tours. Current stream health was qualitatively assessed and characterised at each of the gully sites. Results provide baseline data for future monitoring. The majority of surveyed sites (c. 50%) had sand or silt substrate and the Bankwood gully had the best features for fauna habitat (e.g. debris and areas of low flow). At the time of visit, c. 60% of surveyed streams had clear water clarity. The poorest water clarity scores were in the Waitawhiriwhiri gully. When assessed on width, length and density, the average riparian buffer score was 12.8 out of 20 while the average stream shading score was 12.7 out of 20. The average bank stability score was 13.1 out of 20, reflecting an erosion problem that many gully owners talked about. Surveyed gullies were diverse in terms of native and exotic vegetation structure and composition; native species contributed between c. 30% to 100% of surveyed trees and shrubs, whereas groundcovers were predominantly exotic. This assessment of gully sites has shown that the Plants for Gullies Programme improves native species diversity through the re-introduction of species that are not naturally regenerating. The Plants for Gullies programme is a powerful tool for engaging private landowners and making cost-effective change to Hamilton City’s native biodiversity. There is now a community of willing gully owners who will continue to restore their gullies with the support of a programme or network. It is our recommendation that the Plants for Gullies Programme is reinstated before this community loses momentum

Mettre en place un service de référence virtuel

Fiche pratique sur les services de références en ligne : contextes, éléments de définition, paramètres, jalons historiques et pistes pour en mettre un en place

DVD et bibliothèques

Fiche pratiques présentant des repères chronologiques, le contexte juridique et l\u27offre éditoriale (quelques fournisseurs

Maximum entropy regularization of the geomagnetic core field inverse problem

The maximum entropy technique is an accepted method of image reconstruction when the image is made up of pixels of unknown positive intensity (e.g. a grey-scale image). The problem of reconstructing the magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary from surface data is a problem where the target image, the value of the radial field Br, can be of either sign. We adopt a known extension of the usual maximum entropy method that can be applied to images consisting of pixels of unconstrained sign. We find that we are able to construct images which have high dynamic ranges, but which still have very simple structure. In the spherical harmonic domain they have smoothly decreasing power spectra. It is also noteworthy that these models have far less complex null flux curve topology (lines on which the radial field vanishes) than do models which are quadratically regularized. Problems such as the one addressed are ubiquitous in geophysics, and it is suggested that the applications of the method could be much more widespread than is currently the cas

A Qualitative Study of Public Perspectives on Family Support Services in Ireland

t Family Support Services (FSS) were set up to help families to cope with the stress and strain of modern life. Such services have been considered to be of immense value to people living in designated disadvantaged areas. However, there is little information on the public\u27s perception of family support services in Ireland. Since the provision of efficient and effective services requires knowledge of users\u27 needs, it is essential that these issues be addressed. The purpose of this study therefore is to investigate parents\u27 views and experiences of family support services by a qualitative exploratory study conducted in the North West Sector of Cork City in the late 20th century. This area was selected as it is one of the most socially disadvantaged areas in Ireland. The study consisted of in-depth interviews with 10 mothers and a focus group with another to mothers. Such as small scale study was undertaken as there was a distinct lack of evidence on users\u27 views on Irish FSS to warrant a larger sample. Analysis of mothers\u27 accounts suggested that use of FSS was affected by the perceived stigmatising effect of using the services, disillusionment at the quality of the service provision, the invasion of domestic privacy and lack of users\u27 input into the services being provided. There was also a lack of knowledge amongst the respondents about the services and it emerged that more effective advertising about the available FSS in the area was needed. Family Support Services are targeted at families coping with normal parenting stresses but can also be effective when working with vulnerable families who are affected by domestic violence, child abuse, racism, prejudice and mental health difficu lties. As a result, FSS have much to offer the public but the absence of studies on users\u27 perspectives needs to be addressed if efficient and effective service provision is to be provided. Little has been published since the study was conducted and given the importance placed on FSS, it is crucial that some research be done in the near future

Education, sex, and risk of stroke: a prospective cohort study

To determine whether the association between highest educational attainment and stroke differed by sex and age; and whether potential mediators of observed associations differ by sex.Prospective cohort study.Population based, New South Wales, Australia.253 657 stroke-free participants from the New South Wales 45 and Up Study.First-ever stroke events, identified through linkage to hospital and mortality records.During mean follow-up of 4.7 years, 2031 and 1528 strokes occurred among men and women, respectively. Age-standardised stroke rate was inversely associated with education level, with the absolute risk difference between the lowest and highest education group greater among women than men. In relative terms, stroke risk was slightly more pronounced in women than men when comparing low versus high education (age-adjusted HRs: 1.41, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.71 and 1.25, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.46, respectively), but there was no clear evidence of statistical interaction. This association persisted into older age, but attenuated. Much of the increased stroke risk was explained by modifiable lifestyle factors, in both men and women.Low education is associated with increased stroke risk in men and women, and may be marginally steeper in women than men. This disadvantage attenuates but persists into older age, particularly for women. Modifiable risk factors account for much of the excess risk from low education level. Public health policy and governmental decision-making should reflect the importance of education, for both men and women, for positive health throughout the life course

Mothers of children with congenital heart defects: the effects of ethnicity and education on perceptions, attitudes and feelings; (Implications for social work practice)

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University, 196