The composition and resilience of rockpool fish assemblages on the central Hawke's Bay coast New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology at Massey University

Irregular pagination.Fish assemblages in rockpools on two intertidal platforms on the Central Hawke's Bay coast of New Zealand were studied from June 2000 to March 2001. Twenty-four species belonging to 14 families were collected from 226 rockpool censuses. The Tripterygiidae were the most speciose family, represented by 7 species. Fifty-seven percent of the total number of fish captured (n = 6133) belonged to a single species, the robust triplefin Grahamina capito. Common subtidal species contributed significantly to the taxocene, indicating that much of the rockpool fish fauna is an extension of that in the shallow subtidal fringe. However, two specialist intertidal species (Acanthoclinus fuscus and Bellapiscus medius) were relatively abundant in the collections. Significant relationships between rockpool fish assemblage structure, and rockpool habitat structure were discovered. Richness, abundance and biomass were generally greater in large pools with lots of shelter, located close to the low-tide mark. Further analysis revealed that assemblages in these pools contained many partial residents that were uncommon or absent from rockpools higher on the shore. Seasonality in the structure of rockpool fish assemblages was related primarily to recruitment events. During late spring and early summer, the abundance and density of resident species increased markedly as the result of an influx of settling larvae. However, species richness remained stable over the sampling period, probably because transient subtidal species (with the exception of the labrid, Notolabrus celidotus) did not contribute significantly to the rockpool fish community. The rockpool fish community appeared to be resilient: taxocene structure re-established between collection events. However, the level and rate of resilience appeared to be lower than described in other studies, as the effects of sampling were still measurable after 3-months. The recovery of richness, abundance and biomass of fish was seasonally dependent, being slow in winter and spring, but rapid during summer. Specialist intertidal species were generally the best recolonisers, whereas partial resident species were poor recolonisers, and relied mainly on larval recruitment to colonise rockpools

Priming the pump: exploring the impact of smart water pumps on communities in South Africa and Malawi, where water acces is problematic

Drawing in particular on recent empirical work in South Africa and Malawi, this paper considers the potential that ‘SALT technology’ (sustainable, alternative, low-cost telemetry) has to help realize the goal of sufficient water for everyone by improving the functioning of existing infrastructure and by supporting swift and cheap access to information for all stakeholders. It is suggested that pursuing a dual approach (offering water service providers improved monitoring information, and making this information publically available) could result in a more efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable system of water allocation

An International Comparison of Small Business Employment

Contrary to popular perceptions, the United States has a much smaller small-business sector (as a share of total employment) than other countries at a comparable level of economic development, according to this new CEPR report. The authors observe that the undersized U.S. small business sector is consistent with the view that high health care costs discourage small business formation, since start-ups in other countries can tap into government-funded health care systems

Desirable Host Plant Qualities in Wild Rice \u3ci\u3e(Zizania Palustris)\u3c/i\u3e for Infestation by the Rice Worm \u3ci\u3eApamea Apamiformis\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The rate at which an insect infests hosts by ovipositioning and/or subsequent growth of larvae often depends on specific desirable host plant qualities. In this study, we measured the infestation rate of wild rice, Zizania palustris, by the wild rice worm, Apamea apamiformis, D. F. Hardwick (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and compared it to sediment nitrogen availability, plant biomass, plant density, litter accumulation, and seed carbohydrate and nitrogen concentration. Plant density and litter accumulation had no effect on infestation rates. Infestation rate increased with plant biomass and sediment nitrogen availability. The correlation between infestation rate and sediment nitrogen availability seems to reflect the fact that high nitrogen availability produces larger plants rather than more nutritious seeds as the infestation rate was not correlated with seed glucose content and surprisingly decreased with concentration of nitrogen in seeds. Infestation rate was not related to any other measured quantities. Therefore, Apamea appear to infest larger, rapidly growing host plants which are made possible by high sediment nitrogen availability

An International Comparison of Small Business Employment

Contrary to popular perceptions, the United States has a much smaller small-business sector (as a share of total employment) than other countries at a comparable level of economic development, according to this new CEPR report. The authors observe that the undersized U.S. small business sector is consistent with the view that high health care costs discourage small business formation, since start-ups in other countries can tap into government-funded health care systems.small business, employment, health care

[Fe II] jets from intermediate-mass protostars in Carina

We present new HST/WFC3-IR narrowband [Fe II] images of protostellar jets in the Carina Nebula. Combined with 5 previously published sources, we have a sample of 18 jets and 2 HH objects. All of the jets we targeted with WFC3 show bright infrared [Fe II] emission, and a few H$\alpha$ candidate jets are confirmed as collimated outflows based on the morphology of their [Fe II] emission. Continuum-subtracted images clearly separate jet emission from the adjacent ionization front, providing a better tracer of the collimated jet than H$\alpha$ and allowing us to connect these jets with their embedded driving sources. The [Fe II] 1.64 $\mu$m/H$\alpha$ flux ratio measured in the jets is $\gtrsim 5$ times larger than in the adjacent ionization fronts. The low-ionization jet core requires high densities to shield Fe$^+$ against further ionization by the FUV radiation from O-type stars in the H II region. High jet densities imply high mass-loss rates, consistent with the intermediate-mass driving sources we identify for 13 jets. The remaining jets emerge from opaque globules that obscure emission from the protostar. In many respects, the HH jets in Carina look like a scaled-up version of the jets driven by low-mass protostars. Altogether, these observations suggest that [Fe II] emission is a reliable tracer of dense, irradiated jets driven by intermediate-mass protostars. We argue that highly collimated outflows are common to more massive protostars, and that they suggest the outflow physics inferred for low-mass stars formation scales up to at least $\sim8$ M$_{\odot}$.Comment: 24 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Dielectric microscopy with submillimeter resolution

In analogy with optical near-field scanning methods, we use tapered dielectric waveguides as probes for a millimeter wave vector network analyzer. By scanning thin samples between two such probes we are able to map the spatially varying dielectric properties of materials with sub-wavelength resolution; using a 150 GHz probe in transmision mode we see spatial resolution of around 500 microns. We have applied this method to a variety of highly heterogeneous materials. Here we show dielectric maps of granite and oil shale

Design dis-integration Silent, Partial, and Disparate Design

Michael Porter’s frameworks for analysing and planning competitive differentiation (Porter 1980, 1985) are established ‘textbook’ tools, widely taught to business students today. As the claim of design’s strategic importance is increasingly heard, we ask where does design fit in established strategy thinking? This paper documents a proposed conceptual model based on Porter’s value chain model for strategic planning. The concept outlined is the result of the first stage of a larger study of design’s potential role at strategic level and the difficulties faced by organisations in exploiting design strategically. This exploratory phase comprised a review of literature on design management and models of strategy, followed by nineteen interviews with senior design professionals. These then informed a novel revision of the value chain diagram reflecting the strategic role of design, and the identification of three key phenomena concerning design integration (silent design, partial design and disparate design). These phenomena are also represented in modified versions of the value chain. This overall project follows a research approach based on the design research method and on procedural action research, and aims to develop a tool or method to help organisations increase design integration. This project is ongoing, and the results will be published separately. Keywords: Strategic; value chain; silent; partial; disparate; integrated</p