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    Movements from Pearl Rivers : Connections flowing between Southern China and Aotearoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University) Ma'auga, Tessa
    According to ancient worldviews indigenous to China, the universe and humanity evolved and diversified from one single origin, inheriting a divinely spiritual, as well as physical reality. The familial ties binding all life within the universe operate according to principles of reciprocity, harmony in diversity, and balance. These indivisible relationships continue across realms between deceased ancestors and living descendants. The role of humanity to cultivate the divine attributes reflected in the universe is aided by the advancement of arts and crafts. Such perspectives have informed this creative research, which unravels genealogical, philosophical, cultural, and artistic connections that flow between Southern China and Aotearoa. The visual outcome of the research, Movements from Pearl Rivers exhibition, highlights principles which propelled the long historical evolution of Southern China and her descendants. The continuously unfolding narrative of Southern China from cosmological origins, through ancient Austronesian migrations, to the 19th century Southern Chinese global dispersal is conveyed through a site-specific installation which threads together fibres connecting this region such as mulberry paper, banana, bamboo, silk, and flax. Paper cutting scrolls, kinetic cascading cords, woven items, and the objects and stories contributed by eight diverse descendants of the 19th century Southern Chinese global dispersal reinforce a spirit of connection flowing between an ancestral homeland in Southern China and a present homeland in Aotearoa. This research contributes to prevalent art discourses within Oceania which are learning to embrace the increasingly complex, diverse, and cross-cultural identities and relationships of this region. The conceptual framework based on elements of a Chinese cosmological worldview is offered in communication with diverse wisdom traditions in Oceania. The framework centres artistic practice on the cultivation of beautiful attributes within both the artist and their materials, for the purpose of fostering harmonious relationships. The artworks emphasise the notion of the ever-flowing spirit, underlying and connecting all beings within the universe.
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    The use of horses for undergraduate practical teaching : animal welfare and teaching implications : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Sciences at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Guinnefollau, Lauréline
    Teaching horses are used at Massey University, New Zealand during practical classes for equine and veterinary science students to develop, improve and refine their skills. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the management and use for teaching of these horses and to assess the potential impact of the teaching-related activities on the horses’ behaviour and welfare. The knowledge and competency of students in the veterinary programme at entry level and later in their programme were studied using a questionnaire to provide information on the level of competency of students at entry to the qualification and later after exposure to horses during teaching. The results confirmed previous findings about these students’ background (i.e. mostly urban upbringing, mostly female). Confidence around horses and experience with horses were limited for most students entering the veterinary programme. First-year students had greater difficulty in interpreting a horse’s behaviour, less understanding of equine learning mechanisms and poorer self-assessed equine handling skills compared to 4th-year students. The students’ correct interpretation of equine behaviour was associated with a history of pet ownership, the presence of horses on the students’ family property while growing up and the year of study (i.e. students’ advancement in the programme). The use of the horses kept at Massey University for teaching was studied retrospectively over a calendar year. There were seven different types of equine practical teaching classes but each of the three teaching herds was used only for a specific subset of practical class types. A relatively low frequency of teaching-related activities was reported, although there was some variation in the type and number of student interactions and frequency of use of individual herds and horses. The behavioural activities, i.e. time budgets and herd dynamics, of the teaching horses at pasture were explored at the beginning, during and at the end of a semester of practical teaching. The horses’ time budgets were similar to that of free-ranging populations with a majority of feeding and resting behaviours. Social interactions were mostly submissive, and of mild intensity when agonistic. In addition, hierarchies were relatively linear and stable across time, and a high behavioural synchronisation was reported between pairs of nearest neighbours. The teaching horses’ perception of humans was investigated at the beginning, during and at the end of a semester of practical teaching, through a human-approach test. Horses’ positive responses to human approach and contact were associated with a slow pace, straight arms and gaze directed at the horse’s shoulder. Horses were significantly less likely to accept human contact if they had been used for teaching more often in the weeks prior to the test. The behavioural and physiological responses of the horses were evaluated during three types of practical teaching classes (i.e. animal handling, medical rectal- and mare reproductive rectal examinations). Heart rates during practical teaching classes were consistent and in the range of a resting horse. Horses spent most of the time eating hay but ate less during an interaction with students in the mare reproductive rectal examination class compared to being in stocks with no interaction. No change in behaviour was reported in medical rectal examination classes. The results reported in this thesis provide significant insight about the use for teaching of horses in equine and veterinary science degree programmes. The findings suggest that the teaching horses experienced limited physical, physiological and behavioural stress due to their use for practical teaching classes. Therefore, there may be an opportunity to increase the horses’ use for teaching to enhance equine and veterinary students’ learning outcomes. Additional work, however, is required to identify other equine welfare indicators that could be applied during equine practical teaching classes to further evaluate the impact of the student-horse interaction. In order to optimise the horses’ use for teaching, more research is also warranted to identify the most efficient practice to teach students safe and appropriate equine handling skills and to improve their confidence around horses.
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    An evaluation of the establishment, early growth, and nutritive value of native New Zealand shrubs' : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Environmental Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Simmonds, Georgia Rose
    Agriculture in New Zealand faces many challenges including a need to develop more environmentally focused production systems to help address issues including the need to revegetate step erosion prone hill country, improve indigenous biodiversity and improve water quality. In the past New Zealand has experienced increasingly unpredictable and severe weather which has resulted in severe damage, for example, the 2004 flooding event in the lower north island (Fuller, 2005). New Zealand has a large portion of land that is classed as hill country or steep land, much of which is also classed as highly erodible. These highly erodible areas are vulnerable to high intensity rainfall events; revegetation could help mitigate or reduce the effects of erosion. The species that are currently used in erosion control on farms are often poplars and willows due to their ability to stabilise hill slopes and ease of planting. Native species are not often used in erosion control projects, potentially due to planting difficulties but more likely due to a lack of consistent and long-term information (Phillips, 2005). Species chosen for the present study have been shown to have benefits for erosion previously, as well as being preferred in some ungulate diets. These species were Hoheria populnea, Griselinia littoralis, Pittosporum crassifolium, Coprosma robusta, Pseudopanax arboreus, Coprosma repens, Melicytus ramiflorus, and Salix kinuyanagi. S. kinuyanagi is used as the control species in the present study due to its existing uses in slope stabilisation and forage supplementation on farms in New Zealand. The research objective of this study was to fill the gaps in the knowledge on certain native species and corroborate what is already known from the literature with results from this study, and assess their potential uses as forage. To achieve this objective several species were assessed at two sites: Massey University Dairy No. 4, and Pongaroa Station, Mahia. Measurements included height and stem basal diameter at the start of the trial in July/August 2019 and following summer in March 2020, sampling leaf and edible stem (<5mm) for nutritional content and assessing vigour and survival at the end of the first summer following planting. Survival and early growth at Massey No.4 were higher than at Mahia. Potential reasons for the differences in survival, and growth at Massey No.4 and Mahia, include unplanned browsing damage that occurred early on in the trial at Mahia, as well as the potential effects of the different aspects of the sites. Mahia had a north-facing aspects which has been shown to have effects on soil moisture, soil temperature etc. whereas the Massey No.4 site has a south-facing aspect. The nutritional traits of the native species tested compared favourably to S. kinuyanagi, which is utilised on as a browse shrub in New Zealand. Crude protein was highest in H. populnea for both stem and leaf material while metabolisable energy was highest in P. arboreus for stem and leaf samples. C. robusta foliage had similar metabolisable energy and crude protein to S. kinuyanagi. Several species including H. populnea, and C. robusta showed good early growth suggesting they have potential to be effective species for mitigating erosion on hill slopes. However, further testing over time and at further sites is required to make firm conclusions about the potential for these shrubs as browse species.
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    The effects of urbanisation on the feeding ecology and physiology of mallards, Anas platyrhynchos : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Zoology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Jarman, Tyler Evan
    In this thesis, I address the extent of wildlife feeding (of Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos) in an urban park, and evaluate whether there are discernible differences in body composition and health between urban and rural Mallards. With an increasingly urban human population, more people are engaging with wildlife at their local parks by feeding. Although similar studies have been conducted exploring the participation rates of wildlife feeding in Australasia, this is the first study to my knowledge that quantitatively explores the degree of anthropogenic food being offered to Mallards through wildlife feeding in an urban park, and the impacts the foods on offer have on the physiology and health of Mallards. I surveyed wildlife feeding at the Victoria Esplanade pond in Palmerston North, a frequently visited site for urban feeders. I documented the types and amounts of food being given to ducks, and the basic demographic structure of the party (numbers of adults and children) on weekdays and weekends in late summer and early winter 2018. Results showed that feeding activity was highest on weekends, was most often done by 1–2 adults with 1–2 children, and usually consisted of commercial bread, though a wide range of foods was offered. Not unexpectedly, bread offered tended to be of cheaper brands. When food was offered, the large majority of ducks present attempted to eat it, but natural foraging was also present throughout the day. Counts and GPS tracking of two ducks indicate that many birds leave the pond at night, presumably to forage on natural food sources elsewhere. To determine if living in an urban environment affects the physiology and health of Mallards, I compared the body composition of urban and rural ducks. Reliance on anthropogenic food that is low in fibre and high in carbohydrates could result in birds having smaller digestive organs and higher fat levels, with associated health issues. Instead, I found that urban birds had larger gizzards and caeca, while rural birds had larger flight muscles. These differences may reflect other aspects of the birds’ environments and behaviour than anthropogenic feeding. Birds in Victoria Esplanade are known to feed on acorns and palm tree seeds, which likely require a large gizzard, and rural birds probably have higher flight activity than urban birds (resulting in larger flight muscles). Longer caeca in urban birds are unlikely to reflect higher cellulose breakdown needs but could potentially relate to higher immunosurveillance in a high-density pond situation. No other health differences were observed. Together, these results indicate that Mallard physiology is responsive to local conditions, but at the current level of wildlife feeding there appear to be no major health impacts on individuals. The study site does, however, have a diverse environment with other food sources (including a nearby river) and impacts could be greater in truly ‘urban-locked’ pond sites.
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    "We just have to get them growing their own food" : The cultural politics of community gardens : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Webb, Virginia
    Community gardens remain a popular and persistent response to a range of social ills from food security to social isolation. Scholars often frame gardens as political movements, sites of radical opposition to a globalised, homogenised and hegemonic food system. From this perspective, gardeners are actively cultivating a more environmentally sustainable and socially just way of producing and distributing food and seeking alternative ways of feeding communities. There is no consensus on this perspective, however, and the literature offers a lively debate on the extent to which gardens reinforce or subvert socio-economic structures and inequalities. My research adds to this debate by providing an analysis that shows how community gardens work as sites of identity construction where dominant cultural values are transmitted to select gardeners by those with a sense of governmental belonging. My research is an ethnographic and auto-ethnographic examination of what garden organisers or instigators think they are doing when they do community gardens. I find that garden organisers are trying to shore up a national identity that they perceive as being at risk of being lost. This identity reflects the values of self-reliance, thriftiness, and good neighbourliness that organisers consider themselves to embody and that they believe others lack. It is possible to interpret these values as being symptomatic of processes of neoliberalisation, and the gardens as evidence of the successful depoliticisation of issues of food security and hunger. However, I find that they also reflect deep concern about, and resistance to, these processes. Garden organisers draw on nostalgia for a positively evaluated past world in response to a deficient present world. By invoking the past, gardeners mobilise to overcome what they consider to be the contemporary experience of loss of identity, and absence of community. I joined three community gardens as a volunteer in Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand, to explore the motivations of garden organisers. In each site, I found complex and transversal processes of governance and resistance. I have interpreted these using a theoretical framework assembled from the work of Ghassan Hage on governmental belonging and the politics of hope; Michel Foucault’s work on governmentality and resistance; and Gilles Clément’s work on the agency of plants. I spent intensive time in the gardens, growing garden produce and taking it home to eat. The materiality of the gardens and produce revealed a set of assumptions about the availability of domestic labour and enabled me to build up a detailed picture of the limitations and potential community gardens as sites of alternate ways of doing food and community.
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    Geography and planning in Palmerston North : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1969) Warren, Vernon Richard Cross
    The statement that "planning has an inescapable geographical basis"¹ is in some respects a truism since town and country planning by its nature must operate within a territorial context. It follows that geography and planning should stand in some direct relationship to each other but the question of degree of relationship is open to debate. This present work is an attempt to explore and test the contribution which geographical studies of an area can make to one stage of the planning process - the compilation and analysis of planning data. Town planning in New Zealand has reached an interesting and critical stage of development. Although comprehensive planning legislation has been in effect since 1926 it is only since the passing of the 1953 Town and Country Planning Act that widespread efforts have been made to prepare planning schemes. During this period as problems have been encountered and experience in the preparation and administration of schemes have been accumulated, critical attention has been focused on the efficacy of both the legislation and the resultant schemes. As a result of this scrutiny substantial amendments were made to the legislation in early 1967. [From Preface]
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    Raukura : te rau o te kura i wawatatia = knowing what its [i.e. it's] like to be different, learners valuing diversity : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Māori Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2001) Collier, Emma Edda
    Ko tēnei tuhinga roa e tiro ana ki te take i whakakaupapatia te kura whakangungu o Raukura. He aha te tūāpapa arotake te huarahi kia taea e te tangata, ahakoa ko wai ia, e hiahia ana ki te hokinga tuarua ki te kimi mātauranga tika māna. Heoi anō ko te whakatūwhera i ngā kuaha hei urunga mā te maha noa atu o te Māori, kāore i waimarie i mua ki te mātauranga i tōna wā i kuraina ai. He maha noa atu ngā take e pehi nei, ā, ehara i te mea he ngāwari ki te whakatikatika. Ināianei tonu, ara noa atu ngā mahi kei te mahia, pēnei i te kura whakangungu o Raukura, hei whakarahi ake i ngā painga kia whakatutukihia e te Māori āna whāinga. Mā te whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro ka taea ētahi ariā pakari, araiā whai kiko kia whakamahia ngā kaupapa here me ngā rauemi o nāianei. Kia tōtika ake te whakamahi i ēnei akoranga mō ngā akonga Māori. I whakamanahia a Raukura hei tautoko, hei hiki ake i te reo me te Matauranga Māori i Te Kupenga o Te Mātauranga me Rangitāne whānui tonu, me te whakaoho ake te ngākau tauira. No reira mai i te timatanga kua oti kē te whakarite, ko te reo Māori te tūāpapa hei kawe i ngā akoranga e akohia ana i ngā whāinga paetae ia rā. Ko te tikanga mā wēnei tauira e whakaako te reo me ngā tikanga i ngā wharekura, nā kua puta atu i tēnei whare takiura. Me te mohio mārika hoki ka taea te kawe tika te kaupapa, mō rātou ake, me te iwi Māori. Ko ngā putanga āhua e tauiratia nei ināianei, ka kitea i ngā Kōhanga Reo me ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori. [FROM INTRODUCTION]
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    Price formation at the Palmerston North fresh vegetable auction market : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Horticultural Science in Horticultural Economics and Marketing at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1973) Lee, Chan Hau
    The aim was to analyse the short term price fluctuation of fresh vegetables at the Palmerston North auction market. A brief review of the theoretical and methodological aspects in relation to this topic is outlined. An econometric recursive model was developed in the "inductive phase" to represent the past behaviour of the industry. The simulation model was developed in the "deductive phase" for testing the sensitivity of the model and policy assessment. The results indicated that: 1) The wholesale demand for cabbages and cauliflowers is relatively inelastic (-0.5034 and -0.8142 respectively) while that of lettuces (-1.434) was elastic. Carrots showed nonsignificant positive relationship between quantity purchased and price (+1.935). 2) The simulation model was relatively insensitive to changes in its parameters. It was proved that the supply of fresh vegetables was mainly governed by the seasonal factor. 3) The policy of supply rationalisation could reduce price variance and supply variance by 18% and 45% respectively, while the gross income and unweighted mean price could be increased by 8.7% and 0.3% respectively.
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    Development and trial of a methodology for the quantification and evaluation of home composting in Palmerston North, New Zealand : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Management (without major) at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Mensah, Sabina
    Home composting and commercial composting can be regarded as part of the Municipal Solid Waste Management system. Currently, in Palmerston North and more broadly in New Zealand, home composting plays an important, but an unquantified role in waste diversion. In Palmerston North, the quantity of organic waste diverted from landfill via home composting is not captured in the City’s official ‘waste assessment’ or recorded in the ‘waste management and minimisation plan’. Additionally, there appears to be little local social and technical data on why, who, when, what and how well home composting is practised. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a methodology for a mixed-method quantitative-qualitative study for the quantification and evaluation of home composting practices in Palmerston North. The development process for the research methodology drew upon an international literature review of scientific research, a range of municipal best practice guidelines for home composting and referenced elements of the New Zealand composting standard. The data collection for this study involved a combined telephone and door-to-door survey of 300 households (that is, approximately 1% of occupied dwellings, randomly selected from across all 15 suburbs in the City). To support the physical data collection, a novel home composting evaluation tool was also developed and trialled for empirical and quality assurance evaluation. The overall participation rate recorded in the present study (64%) was high and both data collection methods proved to be viable, yielding positive results. 36% of the households who participated in the present study were home composters which could mean that about 10,761 households in the occupied dwellings of the City practise home composting. At the time of the survey, it appears that nearly 4005 tonnes of organic waste was being treated via home composting processes. The results also indicated positive quality assurance of the home composting process and the resulting compost in the City. Whilst most of the study participants have a positive experience towards home composting, nuisance insects, rodents and odour problems were reported as issues. In terms of motivation around current and future home composting practices, a range of support options appears to be available for Councils to encourage and enhance this positive environmental practice.
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    Comparative seasonality and diets of German (Vespula germanica) and common (V. vulgaris) wasp colonies in Manawatu, New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Godfrey, Peter Lance
    German wasp (Vespula germanica) and common wasp (v. vulgaris) colonies were studied in urban and rural habitats in Manawatu, from January to August 1993. Relative abundance of colonies, nest site preferences, colony dynamics, phenology and diet are described. Data quantifying vespulid wasp nest abundance in Manawatu between 1991-1994 were sourced from pest control companies and the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council. These data were compared with rainfall records for the same period. Over 75% of nests examined in urban and rural Manawatu were built by common wasps. This trend persisted through the season with German wasps accounting for no more than 28% of nests reported in any one month. Most reports of wasps were made in January, with February and March also being high. Heavy rainfall in spring appeared to promote colony formation in the following year. Continued high rainfall between January-June, especially over 600 mm appeared, however, to suppress colonies during this time. Nest drowning is a possible reason for this. Different nest site preferences between the two species were evident in urban and rural habitats. Over half of all urban common wasp nests and a third of urban German wasp nests reported were in sites associated with buildings. Nests in such sites grow faster and larger than those in other sites. In contrast, all rural German wasp nests and 85% of rural common wasp nests were built in the ground. The invasion of Manawatu by common wasps does not appear to have modified the nest site preferences of German wasps. Seasonal traffic rates for both species were similar, with colonies peaking in late March. Common wasp traffic rates were significantly higher in January-February, probably because of earlier nest initiations. Prior to queen production common wasp colonies were most active in the early afternoon. Around the time of queen production early evening activity increased, possibly as a result of the seasonal decrease in day length. Nests with high numbers of worker/male cells built before male production began produced significantly more queens than those with fewer cells. Although similar in size to German wasp nests, common wasp nests contained more queen cells. Cell weights differed between the castes and species. German wasp nests therefore required more than twice as much effort to build as a common wasp nest of a similar size. The possible competitive effects of such differences are discussed. Manawatu German wasp colonies appear to produce males earlier (early February) than common wasp colonies (early March). The reverse applies to queen production which may have started earlier (March 12) in common wasp colonies than in German wasp colonies (March 20). However, variation within and between the species does occur. The egg laying ability of the founder queen appears to limit oviposition in worker/male cells but the availability of empty queen cells appears to limit oviposition in queen cells. The size of the worker force limits the number of larvae that can be cared for. Reproductives were seen leaving nests from early May and continued until the colonies died. In an overwintering German wasp nest production of all three castes were at levels equivalent to an annual nest at peak. German wasp foragers returned with a higher percentage of protein items (16%) than common wasp foragers (11%). Similar percentages of woodpulp were returned to colonies by both species. Diptera, Lepidoptera. Araneae, and Hemiptera were the main animal prey returned to urban and rural colonies. German wasp foragers returned with prey items that were significantly heavier than those carried by common wasps but woodpulp weight did not differ. However, common wasp colonies killed more invertebrates to meet their needs, suggesting that they represent a substantial threat to invertebrate communities. Both prey provision and woodpulp foraging increased dramatically with the onset of queen rearing, indicating the increased needs of colonies at this time. The ecological significance of woodpulp foraging on both species is discussed. Key areas for future wasp research that are applicable within Manawatu and more widely in New Zealand, are outlined. Main areas needing investigation concern aspects of colony dynamics and phenology.