Using RIVPACS for studies on conservation and biodiversity

Invertebrate conservation relies not only on public support and political will, but also on possessing an adequate understanding of the distribution and ecology of invertebrate species and communities. In the UK, RIVPACS is making an important contribution to assessing the conservation importance of river invertebrate assemblages. So far, work has largely centred on using RIVPACS as an integral part of SERCON (System for Evaluating Rivers for Conservation), in which data collected using the standard RIVPACS method are interpreted with reference to conservation criteria such as species richness and representativeness. Applications of RIVPACS to other areas of conservation - whether providing information on the ecological requirements of rare species, monitoring the success of river restoration projects, or making broader assessments of sustainability - are probably more limited, but merit further examination. It is important to develop closer links between RIVPACS and techniques such as SERCON and RHS (River Habitat Survey) in order to maximise the benefit each can bring tostudies on conservation and biodiversity. It should also be recognised that there are limitations in transferring such systems to other countries where approaches to nature conservation may be very different

Distribution Trade Sector Output and Productivity Performance: A Case Study of Singapore and Hong Kong 2001-2008

This paper employs the industry of origin approach to compare value added and productivity of Singapore and Hong Kong's Distribution Trade Sector for the period 2001-2008. The direct comparison between these two economies was motivated by the statements of the Singapore government: Its services sector, especially in Retail Trade, lags behind Hong Kong's productivity levels. The results show that since 2005, Singapore's Distribution performance in terms of labour productivity was below Hong Kong's level, which was largely due to poor performance in its Retail Trade sector arising from an influx of foreign workers. Results from total factor productivity (TFP) between these two economies also suggest that Hong Kong's better performance (since 2005) was largely due to its ability to employ more educated and trained workers with limited use of capital. The results suggest that polices that worked in Hong Kong may not work for Singapore because its population is more diverse which poses a challenge to policy-makers in raising its productivity level.purchasing power parities; distribution trade; wholesale trade; retail trade; total factor productivity; labour productivity

Propagation of Actinidia chinensis (Planch.) by stem and root cutting : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Horticultural Science at Massey University

Basal wounding, bottom heat, light with IBA treatments were found to be beneficial for rooting of Actinidia chinensis (Planch.). IBA treatment was effective only when there was a high natural ability to initiate root in Summer and Spring. Seasonal fluctuations in rooting ability was pronounced. This seasonal variation seems to be related to the levels of endogenous IAA, ABA and cofactor 2. No correlation between root initiation and bud activity or IAN level was established. IAA seems to be the fundamental physiological promoter of adventitous root formation. IBA plays only a supporting role in promoting root formation, by protecting the endogenous IAA level in the cutting base. Leaf tissue is an important factor for rooting to be successful. The role of leaf tissue is not just to produce auxin or synthesize nutrients but rather some unknown factor in the leaf can produce a synergistic interaction with auxin in root formation processes. Root cuttings of Abbott variety were sequentially harvested and planted over a period from late Autumn (1.4.77) until mid Summer (8.1.78). Root cuttings of different thickness and length were compared to evaluate their effect on regeneration. The effect of various growth regulators was investigated too. Root diameters of 0.5 - 1.5 cm. out performed that of the thinner or thicker ones. Shorter cuttings (5 cm) of equivalent total length were found to be more productive than a single long cutting (15cm). Strong polarity was observed with shoots only arising from the proximal end of the cutting. Regenerative capacity was highest in late Autumn and Winter and lowest in Summer. This seasonal fluctuation can be altered by exogenous application of growth regulators. IBA suppressed shoot regeneration, whereas cytokinin and sucrose promoted it, while GA3 did not have any significant effect. For commercial use, the practical and economic aspects of this techique require further investigation

Output and Productivity Comparisons of the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: US and Australia, 1991 to 1999

Australia’s value added contribution of the Wholesale and Retail trade has strengthened against sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing. At 1997-98 prices, its value added contribution to GDP during the 1990s was around 10-11%. Agriculture was 3% and mining 7-8%. Manufacturing’s value added contribution fell from 15% to 12%. While performance at the domestic level may seem significant, there is still need to compare this performance with other countries. Hence, this paper will examine the output and productivity performance of the Australian Wholesale and Retail Trade sector with the leading economy, the United States, from 1991 to 1999. The aim of the paper is two-fold. First, the paper is a pioneer in a series which compares the performance of various industries within the service sector between the US and Australia. Second, it introduces a method for derivation of appropriate currency converters or purchasing power parities (PPPs) for quantification of output and productivity at various disaggregated levels. This method is based on the industry-of-origin approach as refined by the International Comparisons of Output and Productivity (ICOP) project based at the University of Groningen.

Productivity, Technical and Efficiency Change in Singapore's Services Sector, 2005 to 2008

The current study was motivated by statements made by the Economic Strategies Committee that Singapore's recent productivity levels in services were well below countries such as the US, Japan and Hong Kong. Massive employment of foreign workers was cited as the reason for poor productivity levels. To shed more light on Singapore's falling productivity, a nonparametric Malmquist productivity index was employed which provides measures of productivity change, technical change and efficiency change. The findings reveal that growth in total factor productivity was attributed to technical change with no improvement in efficiency change. Such results suggest that gains from TFP were input-driven rather than from a 'best-practice' approach such as improvements in operations or better resource allocation.Efficiency, productivity; Malmquist indices; Singapore services

Efficiency of Research Performance of Australian Universities: A Reappraisal using a Bootstrap Truncated Regression Approach

The motivation of the study stems from the results reported in the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2010 report. The report showed that only 12 universities performed research at or above international standards, of which, the Group of Eight (G8) universities filled the top eight spots. While performance of universities was based on number of research outputs, total amount of research income and other quantitative indicators, the measure of efficiency or productivity was not considered. The objectives of paper are twofold. First, to provide a review of the research performance of 37 Australian universities using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) bootstrap approach of Simar and Wilson (J Econ, 136:31–64, 2007). Second, to determine sources of productivity drivers by regressing the efficiency scores against a set of environmental variables.Data envelopment analysis, efficiency, universities, bootstrap truncated regression, environmental variables.

Interstate Comparison of Output and Productivity in the Australian Agricultural Sector, 1991 to 1999

The paper examines the output and productivity performance of the Australian Agriculture sector by state from 1991 to 1999. The aim of the paper is two-fold. First, the paper is a pioneer in a series which compares the performance of each Australian state by sector starting with the Agriculture sector. Second, it introduces the Geary-Khamis (GK) method for derivation of appropriate currency converters or purchasing power parities (PPPs) to enable proper quantification of real output and productivity at the multilateral level. It is essential to use appropriate PPPs as the differences in prices of farm commodities across states pose the problem of aggregation of real output. For the benchmark year 1996-97, gross value of agricultural production reveal that Victoria was 73% of NSW level, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data when price differentials are not taken into consideration. However, when appropriate PPPs were used, results showed that Victoria’s level had gone up to 88% of NSW level. In terms of value added, Victoria’s level with respect to NSW was 89% based on actual values and 106% based on Geary-Khamis PPPs.