Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Manawatu-Wanganui

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Towards empirically validated models of soft-rock landslides' occurrence, activity, and sediment delivery : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Williams, Forrest
    Within New Zealand, soft-rock landslides present a severe hazard to infrastructure and contribute to the degradation of river systems by delivering large amounts of sediment to waterways. Updates to New Zealand’s national policy statement for freshwater management necessitate accurate accounting of freshwater sediment sources, but current sediment budget models do not account for the sediment inputs from soft-rock, and other large slow-moving landslides. To understand which factors lead to the occurrence and continued activity of these landslides and the role they play in New Zealand’s river sediment dynamics, I have completed the following objectives. (i) I have mapped large landslides within the Whanganui-Rangitikei soft-rock hill country in the North Island of New Zealand and conducted a geostatistical analysis to determine which factors control their occurrence. (ii) I have developed a novel remote sensing framework for monitoring large, slow-moving landslides that is based upon time-series Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and time-series sub-Pixel Offset Tracking (sPOT) analyses. Furthermore, I have shown that this framework can identify large landslide activity with an accuracy of 91% and measure the movement of landslides moving with an average velocity of 2.05 m/yr with a mean absolute error of 0.74 m/yr. (iii) I have applied this framework to the landslides of the Whanganui-Rangitikei soft-rock hill country and used its results to perform a geostatistical analysis to determine which factors control a landslide’s current activity state and to estimate the total sediment mass delivered by soft-rock landslides to the rivers of this region. In total, I mapped 1057 large landslides in this region and identified 66 of them as currently active. I find that low slopes, river incision, alignment between bedding planes and slopes, and forest cover are predictive of landslide occurrence, but that low slopes and high annual precipitation rates best predict the current activity states of these landslides. I also find that soft-rock landslides contribute a 10±2% of the total sediment mass delivered to the river systems of this region. Overall, this thesis advances our understanding of why soft-rock landslides occur and provides a framework that will allow future studies to monitor these landslides at region to country-wide scales.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Statistical modelling for zoonotic diseases : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Liao, Sih-Jing
    Preventing and controlling zoonoses through the design and implementation of public health policies requires a thorough understanding of epidemiology and transmission pathways. A pathogen may have complex transmission pathways that could be affected by environmental factors, different reservoirs and the food chain. One way to get more insight into a zoonosis is to trace back the putative sources of infection. Approaches to attribute the infection to sources include epidemiological observations and microbial subtyping techniques. In order for source attribution from the pathways to human infection to be delineated, this thesis proposes statistical modelling methods with an integration of demographic variables with multilocus sequence typing data derived from human cases and sources. These models are framed in a Bayesian context, allowing for a flexible use of limited knowledge about the illness to make inferences about the potential sources contributing to human infection. These methods are applied to campylobacteriosis data collected from a surveillance sentinel site in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. A link between genotypes found from sources and human samples is considered in the modelling scheme, assuming genotypes from sources are equal or linked indirectly to that from human cases. Model diagnostics show that the assumption of equal prevalence of genotypes between humans and sources is not tenable, with a few types being potentially more prevalent in humans than in sources, or vice versa. Thus, a model that allows genotypes on humans to differ from those on sources is implemented. In addition, an approximate Bayesian model is also proposed, which essentially cuts the link between human and source genotype distributions when conducting inference. The final inference from these approaches is the probability for human cases attributable to each source, conditional on the extent to which each case resides in a rural compared to urban environment. Results from the effective models suggest that poultry and ruminants are important sources for human campylobacteriosis. The more rural human cases are located, the higher the likelihood of ruminant-sourced cases is. In contrast, cases are more poultry-associated when their locations are more urban. A little rurality effect is noticed for water and other sources due to small sample sizes compared to that from poultry and ruminants. In addition, animal faeces are believed to be the primary cause of water contamination via rainfall or runoff coming from farmland and pasture. When water is treated as a medium in the transmission, instead of an end point, water birds are suggested to be the most likely contributor to water contamination. These findings have implications for public health practice and food safety risk management. A risk management strategy had been carried out in the poultry industry in New Zealand, leading to a marked decrease of urban case rates from a poultry source. However, the findings of this thesis suggest a further step with a focus on rural areas as rural case rates are observed to be relatively higher than urban rates. Further, by exploring the role that water plays in the transmission, it deepens our knowledge of the epidemiology about waterborne campylobacteriosis and highlights the importance of water quality. This opens a potential research direction to study the association of water quality and environmental factors such as higher global temperatures for this disease.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    "It's hard being a young parent, it's even harder being a young Māori parent" : young Māori parents' experiences of raising a family : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Ware, Felicity
    Young Māori parents play a significant part in growing the indigenous population of Aotearoa New Zealand and helping to raise the country’s future. Despite Māori only being about 15 percent of New Zealand’s total population, about half of all young parents in this country are Māori. While parents at any age may require support, being young and Māori while also needing support may present additional challenges. The disproportionate representation of young parents and of Māori in socioeconomic disadvantage has dual implications. These disparities fuel a deficit understanding of early parenting, indigeneity, and requiring assistance. The ongoing impacts of colonisation and racism further exacerbate these disparities and marginalise Māori. This research examines the historical, cultural, political and social contexts that influence early parenting for Māori. Key principles of Māori research, oral traditions and narrative inquiry were employed to explore the distinct experiences of young Māori parents. Māori principles were implemented throughout all of the research process; in the design, methodology and organisation of the research. A Māori narrative approach was developed to gather, present and analyse the perspectives of 19 young Māori parents from the Manawatū, New Zealand about support during pregnancy, birth and parenting. Their stories were examined using a Māori analytical framework. This approach identified interrelated layers of kōrero (story) that revealed how young Māori parents construct their own changing identity and contextualise their stories within significant relationships, a Māori worldview, and society. A cross-examination of their kōrero revealed that their experiences were also shaped by what it means to be a young person, a young parent, Māori and from disadvantage. This Māori narrative approach revealed a more complex and nuanced understanding of the interrelatedness and influence of societal expectations, indigeneity, Māori culture and whānau, on personal experience. The findings of the research demonstrate that support for young Māori parents in Aotearoa New Zealand is constrained by prevailing and intersecting ideas about being young, early childbearing, Māori identity and receiving welfare. For example, young Māori women are framed as more likely to become pregnant at a young age, have their education disrupted, require welfare assistance, and pass on socioeconomic disadvantage to their children. This deficit perception of their parenting potential is perpetuated in many different ways in society. This stigma and stereotyping has real consequences for the way young Māori parents construe their experience of parenting and how they are supported. This thesis discusses the consequences of deficit-based research, government rationalities for welfare provision, and the potential role of whānau. The kōrero from the young Māori parents resisted the assumptions that having a child at a young age and being Māori contribute to negative outcomes. As Māori they could draw on counter narratives about early parenting that may not be available to non-Māori. Māori understandings of reproduction, raising children and whānau celebrate a new baby as an extension of whakapapa (genealogy) and do not necessarily frame the age of the parents as an issue. However, young Māori parents also felt that taking up a Māori identity meant that their parenting was subject to increased scrutiny and there was added pressure to prove themselves as competent parents. Young Māori parents continuously navigate the tension between Māori beliefs and societal expectations in their own accounts of raising children. Whilst dominant narratives constrain whether they are treated as a suitable parent, Te Ao Māori beliefs help them to feel valued in their role as whakapapa nurturers and contributing whānau members. Support for young Māori parents would be helped by the authentic promotion of Māori knowledge, practices, language, identity and experiences associated with pregnancy, birth and parenting guaranteed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Privileging the lived experiences of young Māori parents, such as those included in this thesis helps to critically deconstruct the negative assumptions about young parents and Māori, particularly those who are overrepresented in requiring assistance. The findings of this research are relevant to all people responsible for the outcomes of young Māori parents and will help to inform better research, policy and practice. Government, community, health and supporting professionals, iwi, and whānau all have important roles in supporting young Māori parents to develop positive identities, to reach full potential and to raise their children.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Purpose built standoff on dairy farms for environmental protection and efficient production : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Villacres Tapia, Santiago Raul
    Farmers are increasingly concerned about pasture and soil protection and nutrient loss from their farms to receiving surface and ground waters. The practise of standoff using purpose built facilities is one potential solution to these twin problems. However, the adoption of standoff is expensive as it incurs numerous costs such as those associated with the construction of the feed and loafing areas and the handling of the extra volumes of effluent that are produced. This study investigates the implementation of standoff on four case study farms in the Manawatu region. One of the farmers is contemplating adopting standoff for soil and pasture protection, one of the farmers is considering the use of standoff to lower leaching from his farm while two of the case study farms are wondering about the use of standoff for both purposes i.e. soil/pasture and environmental protection. A range of tools was used to simulate the role and impact of standoff in the four cases study farms including; the soil water balance, the Farm Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator, Overseer and the DairyNZ investment tool. The soil water balance was used to identify the timing and extent of standoff, which are in turn important inputs into other the other models. The two major benefits of standoff in winter and spring for farm profitability are a potential increase in milk production and improved utilisation of supplements. Where standoff was practised for soil and pasture protection it was assumed that milk yield would increase by a relatively modest amount (10%) over the months August to October inclusive. The conservative nature of the analysis performed here recognises that the cases study farms are currently well managed. The simulations suggest that standoff for soil/pasture and environmental protection would be effective in helping the farmers meet these objectives. The case study farms with poorly drained soil would stand cows off for significant periods in order to protect soils and pastures. The cost of standoff is dependent on a number of factors. In this study, the impact of standoff on the costs associated with managing increased volumes of effluent were investigated in more detail. Standoff obviously results in the generation of more effluent. The costs associated with handling this effluent varied across the case study farms. Farms where large periods of standoff occurred in winter and where the effluent was irrigated to high risk soils required large increases is storage volume. Farms where standoff was only practised in summer and autumn to reduce leaching from free draining soils required very little increase in storage volume. The required expansion of the effluent block varied across the cases study farms but was typically 500 to 710 m2 per cow. Overseer suggests that standoff would decrease N leaching from the farms by 4 to 26%. The DairyNZ tool suggests that there is the risk that standoff will not be a good financial investment on the case study farms. Only one of the scenarios explored here had acceptable values for the financial parameters such as NPV. For all other scenarios, standoff was not a financially viable proposition. This would be expected for the farm where standoff was only practised over the summer and autumn periods as standoff at this time of the year has few other financial benefits. In this case, standoff should be compared with the cost of other mitigation options. Given the complexity of identifying the advantages and costs of standoff, any farmer contemplating adopting standoff needs to perform their own comprehensive and detailed analysis. If milk production is greater than the value assumed here or the standoff facility can be constructed and operated more cheaply than assumed here then standoff may well be a sound financial investment.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Characterisation and numerical simulation of the Lower Manawatu Catchment hydrogeological system : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Sciences at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Zarour, Hisham Ibrahim Sabri
    The Lower Manawatu Catchment (LMC) hydrogeological system presents an example of extensive stratified heterogeneous aquifers. A conceptual model was developed for the system through systematic characterisation of its geology, soil, climate, hydrology, hydrogeology and hydrochemistry. Numerical groundwater flow modelling provided an effective integrated framework for the analysis. The developed knowledge and models are useful for the identification and comparison of land and water resources management options in the catchment. The research involved the development of a soil moisture balance modelling code to evaluate recharge. Stratigraphical modelling has been possible through incorporating imaginary lithological well logs and stratigraphical cross-sections in data-sparse areas. Geological material heterogeneity was represented in the groundwater flow model through hybridising zonal and pilot point calibration techniques. The developed soil moisture, geology and heterogeneity modelling techniques have universal applications. The study indicates that the LMC hydrogeological system is more suitably represented as a continuous groundwater flow system rather than a sequence of discrete aquifers and aquitards. Average groundwater recharge is estimated at about 25% of average rainfall. Average baseflow is estimated at about 10% of the average runoff, the equivalent to more than half the estimated average recharge. The LMC groundwater resource is mainly tapped at shallow depths, the locus where most of the interaction with surface water occurs. Catchment-scale steady-state numerical groundwater flow modelling suggests that in average groundwater abstraction may have been depleting overall surface water flow by about 5%. Groundwater levels in the LMC were found to be generally stable, implying sustainable resource development. Rising groundwater levels noted in the eastern and southern outskirts of Palmerston North may be related to prolonged practice of irrigation. No evidence of land use impacts on groundwater quality was found in the catchment. Nitrate concentrations are believed to have been kept at acceptable levels in groundwater due to denitrification stimulated by extensive organic content in some geological units. This thesis represents a one stop shop for information on groundwater in the LMC. The knowledge and tools developed through this research have immediate use in the LMC and elsewhere, and they provide solid basis for further work.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Dairy farmers' responses to water quality interventions : a case study in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture and Environment, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Collins, Heather Mildred
    New Zealand freshwater quality has declined, and dairy farming is one identified contributor to this decline. This research provides insight into dairy farmers responses to the water quality interventions introduced to mitigate diffuse pollution, and the socio-cultural dynamics that shaped their responses. Putnam’s (2000) social capital theory was the theoretical framework used to explore how and why New Zealand dairy farmers responded to water quality interventions and the role of social capital in shaping dairy farmers’ responses. A single qualitative case-study research design was undertaken in one Water Management Zone of the Manawatu-Wanganui Region. Data was drawn from semi-structured interviews with dairy farmers and key informants, and from documents. Farmer response is identified as a multi-dimensional rather than a uni-dimensional phenomenon. The dairy farmers responded to water quality interventions as individuals and collectively, and these responses were linked and interwoven. Individual farmer awareness and understanding, emotion and behaviour changed. Collectively, resistance, social learning, formation of a farmer-led action group and changes in accepted farming practices occurred. In addition, social interactions through social networks, trust, social norms and being a ‘good’ farmer that uses ‘best’ farm practice (farmer identity) emerged as key influencers of the dairy farmers’ individual and collective responses to water quality interventions. The socially constructed collective agreements on accepted behaviour, or cultural, personal and practice norms, influenced farmers’ individual and collective responses to interventions. The identified cultural norms associated with private property ownership, equity and fairness, social responsibility and relationships, and personal norms associated with the stewardship of land and water, reflected the farming culture of the farmers interviewed and the broader group to which they belong. A broad collective change in what farmers believe are the expected farm management practices around farming and water quality (practice norms) influenced individual farm practice change. In addition, informal farmer sanctioning of practice norm violation was found to be a key part of the process by which farm practices that had a negative effect on water quality were challenged, and new practice norms were fostered. The collective farmer resistance to regulation and the actions of a farmer-led collective action group were in fact resistance to an intervention that was perceived to challenge their social norms, their identity as ‘good farmers’ and to disregard their local knowledge; not resistance to practice changes that will improve water quality. Dairy farm management practice change is a social process of exchanging information and knowledge, questioning, challenging current practice and reinforcing what is considered accepted practice around farming and water quality. This understanding provides a valuable contribution to the design and implementation of environmental policy interventions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The voice(s) of Māori in integrated freshwater management : a case study in the Manawatū River catchment in New Zealand : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecological Economics at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Schiele, Heike Christiane
    Freshwater of good quality and quantity is fundamental to life. The challenge of our times is to manage freshwater and to find innovative ways to integrate ecological, economic, social and cultural interests in its use so that future generations will continue to have access to its life-supporting capacity. This research focuses on cultural understanding of water and how it influences water management. The study explores how the voice of Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) is heard in collaborative multi-stakeholder approaches to freshwater management. The voice of Maori in the context of this study is defined as the contributions made by Maori while exercising rights granted under the Treaty of Waitangi signed in1840, to participate in the management of their taonga (treasures including natural resources). The trans-disciplinary and cross-cultural research uses ‘verstehen’ (creating meaning) as the epistemology and method to explore four questions: 1) How are cultural values reflected in the process of action planning, funding and implementation?; 2) What gives voice in the process?; 3) Voice in short-term collaborations - how do Mediated Modelling and other tools support the voice of Maori?; and 4) Voice and iwi/hapu river management planning - how could intergenerational plans relate to the voice of Maori? The case study for the research was based in the Manawatu River catchment in the lower North Island of New Zealand. It took place between October 2010 and November 2013. Four iwi/hapu (tribes/sub-tribes) from the catchment, namely Te Kauru Eastern Manawatu River Hapu Collective, Rangitaane O Manawatu, Ngati Kauwhata (supported by Taiao Raukawa) and Muaupoko Tribal Authority participated in a collaborative process involving multiple stakeholders tasked with finding solutions to water quality and quantity issues impacting the catchment. The case study culminated in a ‘framework for voice’ as a tool to facilitate a deeper level of understanding of cultural values and thereby improve dialogue in future collaborations in integrated freshwater management involving Maori and non-Maori. The study concludes that innovative changes to integrated freshwater management can evolve over time as new thinking emerges at the interface between cultures, their worldviews and values. Key words: integrated freshwater management, voice of Maori, worldviews, values, multi-stakeholder collaborations, intergenerational planning and vision
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Estimating hill country rainfall without full data sets for the Manawatu River catchment : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University, Turitea, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Sijbertsma, Jorn Arjan
    Nowadays, people anticipate floods using flood warning systems, and building stop banks and flood ways in place that use flood models generated with hydrological information in their design. Nevertheless, various regions in the world are still hit by floods with catastrophic effects to urban areas, because of a lack of local hydrological knowledge, especially of upstream areas in their catchments. This lack of hydrological knowledge is a result of difficult accessible highly elevated upstream areas, which makes monitoring of hydrological variables difficult or impossible. This thesis examines models for determining montane rainfall using spatial estimation methods and data sets. The distribution and quantity of montane rainfall were assessed by applying five appropriated spatial estimation methods, data of historical and current rain gauges, and a performance measurement. The methodology applied to gain more knowledge about montane rainfall was established with the results of a literature analysis of 40 articles about montane rainfall. This literature analysis revealed that ordinary kriging is the most frequently applied spatial estimation method for montane rainfall, with regression and regression kriging completing the top three of the most applied methods. Also, two other spatial estimation methods, empirical Bayesian kriging and geostatistical simulation, performed well with rainfall data. The same literature analysis disclosed that the root mean square error was predominantly used as a performance measure of spatial estimation methods. The literature analysis revealed a number of data gap-filling techniques, with the inverse distance weighting method and the coefficient of correlation weighting method as the two most suitable techniques. These techniques were applied to complete historical rainfall data sets and their performance was compared within this research. The result showed that the coefficient of correlation weighting method outperformed the inverse distance weighting method in 74% of all data gap estimations, and the coefficient of correlation weighting method was 22% more accurate (based on the overall performance) than the inverse distance weighting method. The most accurate data gap-filling technique, the coefficient of correlation weighting method, was used to complete the historical rain gauges data. The overall ranking of the spatial estimation methods revealed that Gaussian geostatistical simulation performed the best. Regression kriging was the second best spatial estimation method, but there was no significant difference with Gaussian geostatistical simulation. At the same time, the results showed that the best performance of the spatial estimations was accomplished without the maximum number of rain gauges. However, better visual representation of the distinct pattern of rainfall was generated with the historical rain gauges in the second and third experiment of the spatial estimations. Finally, this research discussed the factors that can impact the performance of the spatial estimations. Two of these factors were the removal of ?bad data? and the the strategic placing of rain gauges. The results of this research clearly defined that the removal of ?bad data? increased the accuracy of estimation, while a more even and strategic distribution of rain gauges was suggested to increase the accuracy of the spatial estimation of rainfall.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The status of wetlands in the Manawatu : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Kerr, Peter Thomas
    Wetlands have been severely degraded throughout history, particularly by agricultural activities. In addition, legislation has played a role in the sustainability of this resource. The purpose of this study was to determine the status of wetlands within the Manawatu, requiring an assessment of the physical attributes of the wetland, as well as reviewing the legislation, policies and plans governing how these areas arc managed. The objectives were to determine whether wetlands should be protected, and if so are they adequately preserved within a sample group. The sample group was determined by a number of factors including site access, landowner permission, and time restrictions If it is shown that these wetlands are not in acceptable environmental condition, then details of what should be done to improve their status are included. To achieve these objectives a wetland field assessment sheet that could be used by someone not familiar with the various plant and animal species found around wetlands, was designed. This field assessment sheet assessed the surrounding land use, threats, functions (of the wetland), and assessment of other attributes such as bank stability, water quality, and the effects of humans in the area. This field assessment sheet was necessary in order to determine whether the wetlands in the selected group were adequately preserved. Relevant wetland legislation and planning documents were also assessed. These were used to determine whether wetlands are given adequate protection under current laws such as the Resource Management Act (1991). Aerial photographs at a scale of 1:27 500 were used to identify the changes in numbers of wetlands between the 1940s and 1990s, and to measure the change in size of the sampled wetlands between the same time period. A main result showed that wetlands are generally increasing in number within four random aerial photo transects. The wetlands that were selected for field assessment proved to be in reasonable environmental condition. Zones within the wetlands that need improvement lie within the amount and composition of bank vegetation surrounding the wetland. In almost all cases, the average width of the surrounding riparian margin was less than five metres. Analysis of the legislation and planning documents showed that great emphasis is placed on those wetlands that are identified as being of national or regional significance. Those wetlands that are not classified as such are left to the maintenance of the landowner. Ultimately the status of these wetlands, not identified as being of regional or national significance, lies in the good will of the landowners. In most case studies, landowners were aware and mindful of the wetlands on their property. It is this attitude that must not change if the desired outcome is a continuation of wetlands throughout the region. It is concluded that a regional wetland plan or strategy should be designed in order to give greater importance to those wetlands not identified in the Regional Policy Statement (1998), so their status is more likely to be preserved. This plan should contain encouragement for landowners to provide a more suitable buffer zone around their wetlands - not only for the provision of suitable habitat for wildlife, but also to act as a filter for nutrients entering the wetland system.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Native and adventive detritivores in forests of Manawatu-Whanganui : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Parker, Amie
    Little is known about many New Zealand invertebrates, including detritivores which have a key role in the functioning of ecosystems and are threatened by habitat modification and the addition of adventive species. Detritivores are an abundant group, and, like many other New Zealand taxa, they contain a high level of endemism that needs conserving. Detritivores are so scarcely studied, that it remains unknown how their forest communities are influenced by changes to New Zealand’s forest habitats. This study aimed to increase knowledge on the identity, abundance, and distribution of detritivores in forests of Manawatu-Whanganui. Four main questions were addressed: (1) are adventive detritivores capable of invading native forests?, (2) can pine forests provide an alternative forest habitat for native detritivores?, (3) does proximity to forest edge affect native and adventive detritivores?, (4) are native and adventive detritivores co-occurring in the same habitats? Three detritivore groups (Diplopoda, Isopoda, and Amphipoda) were collected from edge and centre plots in six pine forests and ten native forests (including those that are small and close to urban areas) in Manawatu-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The results show that a number of adventive taxa have spread throughout native forests in Manawatu-Whanganui, which does not support the hypothesis that native forests are resistant to adventive detritivores. Adventive Diplopoda were actually more abundant in native forests, and abundance of adventive Amphipoda and adventive Isopoda was high in both native and pine forests. Some native taxa were less dominant or absent in pine forests, and forest type influenced the community structure of Diplopoda and possibly Isopoda. The likelihood that a randomly collected detritivore would be an adventive was also influenced by forest type in all three detritivore groups. Human disturbance may have facilitated the invasion and establishment of adventive species, because small, urban, and highly modified native remnants appeared to have higher abundance and diversity of adventive species. Edge proximity had little influence on abundance of detritivores, but did affect the predicted likelihood of encountering an adventive individual in all three groups. Adventive and native detritivores co-occurred in all forest habitats and it is possible that adventive detritivores will be influencing native species. Native Amphipoda appear to be under the most immediate threat in Manawatu-Whanganui, with adventive Amphipoda having higher abundance and higher probability of being found throughout all investigated forest habitats; there is evidence that adventive Arcitalitrus is displacing native species. The presence of adventive species could alter the functioning of native forest ecosystems and further research into the effect of adventive species in native forest is recommended. The data also revealed that for all three investigated taxa pine forests can support as many native detritivores as native forests, suggesting that pine forests contribute to preserving native biodiversity. Pine forests may be used as a tool to conserve native detritivores, but the conditions which promote the establishment of native species need further investigation.