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    A perspective on green, blue, and grey spaces, biodiversity, microbiota, and human health.
    (Elsevier B.V., 2023-09-20) Potter JD; Brooks C; Donovan G; Cunningham C; Douwes J
    Humans have lived from equator to poles for millennia but are now increasingly intruding into the wild spaces of other species and steadily extruding ourselves from our own wild spaces, with a profound impact on: our relationship with the natural world; survival of other species; pollution; climate change; etc. We have yet to grasp how these changes directly impact our own health. The primary focus of this paper is on the beneficial influence of proximity to the natural environment. We summarize the evidence for associations between exposure to green space and blue space and improvements in health. In contrast, grey space - the urban landscape - largely presents hazards as well as reducing exposure to green and blue space and isolating us from the natural environment. We discuss various hypotheses that might explain why green, blue, and grey space affect health and focus particularly on the importance of the biodiversity hypothesis and the role of microbiota. We discuss possible mechanisms and exposure routes - air, soil, and water. We highlight the problem of exposure assessment, noting that many of our current tools are not fit for the purpose of understanding exposure to green and blue space, aerosols, soils, and water. We briefly discuss possible differences between indigenous perspectives on the nature of our relationship with the environment and the more dominant international-science view. Finally, we present research gaps and discuss future directions, particularly focusing on the ways in which we might - even in the absence of a full understanding of the mechanisms by which blue, green, and grey space affect our health - begin to implement policies to restore some balance to our environment of with the aim of reducing the large global burden of ill health.
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    Impact of human colonisation history on New Zealand avian diversity : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Amiot, Christophe Michel Gérard
    Human activity has transformed earth's ecology and exerts new selection forces on entire species communities. This thesis examines the influence of evolutionary and human history on the composition of local biodiversity in New Zealand terrestrial habitats. The Auckland region of New Zealand provides an excellent model system because these areas have only recently been colonised by humans, and there is a gradient of habitats ranging from urban to protected native bush. The history of humans in New Zealand is used to inform the response of naïve biodiversity to anthropogenic transformation. First, a general concept of the effect of human societies on biodiversity responses to anthropogenic impacts is explained in chapter one. I focus on three major historical phases - hunter-gather, Agrarian and Industrial- to outline the contrasting influences of each society on native species extinction and extirpation legacies. I then examine the impact of two waves of colonization by humans in New Zealand on avifauna, to establish an understanding of the influence of different human societies on species communities. My results how that New Zealand’s extinction rates are the highest recorded, and are associated with the post-colonisation period by European society and a more advanced human niche construction. This caused more advanced cultural, ecological transformations at various spatial scales. In addition, for exotic bird species in New Zealand, I examined whether the extent of previous coexistence with humans was a potential determinant of establishment success. My findings suggest that previously co-existing with humans is a potential key factor driving the establishment success of exotic species, particularly in habitats transformed by humans. To verify the idea that species functional diversity responds in different ways to human civilisation, I characterise differences in species biological traits among a gradient of habitats with variable degrees of anthropogenic disturbance. I show that no clear assemblages of traits are currently found along extant New Zealand native avifauna. I argue that this can be explained by the different experiences that NZ native avifauna has had with humans in comparison to exotic species. To investigate the possibility of a time-lag response of birds to human habitat transformations, the response of an avifauna assemblage in a remnant forest in the urban habitat is investigated over a period of 26 years of human habitat changes. My results suggest that the community assemblage changed over that time, driven by the arrival of new exotic species. This resulted in a change of community composition to one dominated by exotic species. Finally, nestsite selection of exotic and native avifauna is examined across an anthropogenic gradient to understand the role of evolutionary history in shaping their behavioural response to habitat change. I found further support for the effect of species past-experience with humans. Indeed only native species more naive to anthropogenic habitats and its disturbance tend to alter their nest site strategy in relation to the degree of terrestrial predation. By using the history of a recently colonised location like New Zealand, this research has been able to show the potential importance of human society characteristics during colonisation and how previous levels of human coexistence of biodiversity has implications for current and future ecological consequences in an Anthropogenic world. This thesis highlights the importance of considering species’ past-experiences with humans to inform ecological and evolutionary research and conservation strategies.
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    The question concerning the environment: a Heideggerian approach to environmental philosophy : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Philosophy at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2008) Bowyer, Lynne
    This thesis will engage with the thinking of Martin Heidegger in order to show that our environmental problems are the necessary consequences of our way of 'knowing' the world. Heidegger questions the abstract, theoretical approach that the Western tradition has to 'knowledge', locating 'knowledge' in the human 'subject', an interior self, disengaged from and standing over against the other-than-human world, as external 'object'. Such an approach denies a voice to the other-than-human in the construction of 'knowledge'. Heidegger maintains that we are not a disembodied intellect, but rather we are finite, self-interpreting beings, embodied in a physical, social and historical context, for whom things matter. In view of this, he discards traditional notions of 'knowledge', in favour of understanding and interpretation. Accordingly, he develops what can be called a dialectical ontology, whereby we come to understand and interpret ourselves and other beings in terms of our involved interactions. This involved understanding acknowledges the participation of other-than-human beings in constructing an interpretation of the world, giving them a voice. Following Heidegger's way of thinking, I suggest that by developing an ontological-ethic, a way of dwelling-in-the-world based on a responsive engagement with other-than- human entities, we can disclose a world that makes both the other-than- human and humanity possible.
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    Bridge building and barrier breaking between ecosocialism and deep ecology : a metatheoretical perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Marshall, Alan
    The objective of this thesis is to explore the relationships and the theoretical bounds of compatibility between Ecosocialism and Deep Ecology. The ultimate aim of such an exploration is that a suitable synthesis of Ecosocialist and Deep Ecological thought is achieved. Such a synthesis may elude this author, but hopefully some progress towards building bridges and breaking down barriers between the two streams of environmentalism can be made. This 'syn-thesis' concentrates on examining the metatheoretical perspectives of Ecosocialism and Deep Ecology for it is from such an examination that the major incongruities between them can be identified. The metatheories examined include Deep Ecology's unitarianism, Self-realizationism and non-anthropocentrism, and Ecosocialism's communitarianism, sociality and anthropocentrism. There are other theoretical barriers between them but the ones listed above may be interpreted as encompassing those islands of thought, between which bridges can be built. As an aid to the reader, some definition of Ecosocialism and Deep Ecology may be useful: Ecosocialism is a stream of environmentalism that draws on the theoretical background of socialist principles and Marxism to identify environmental problems and effect solutions. Although the productivist outlook of most modern socialisms has been theoretically ejected from Ecosocialism, its continued anthropocentrism keeps it from attaining 'radical' environmentalism status. Deep Ecology is a non-anthropocentric stream of environmentalism that relies on the personal experiences of human individuals with nature to effect environmental attitudes within society. Deep Ecology's 'deepness' has variously been attributed to its deeper respect for nature, its deeper perspective of egalitarianism, its deeper analysis into environmental problems and its deeper affiliation with things spiritual.
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    Proposal for an expedition : submitted as partial fulfilment of a Masters of Fine Arts thesis at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2014) Frost, Graham
    In Proposal for an Expedition I reflect on the social representation of environmental stewardship values in New Zealand. Equal parts historic fable and contemporary narrative, my project addresses the archive, the museum, and the wildlife reserve as sites of knowledge production. The work exists as a collection of objects, actions, stories and ideas that combine to re-imagine a wildlife sanctuary not as a static ‘reserve’ but as a dynamic and multi-layered space evoking multiple simultaneous ecological, historical and socio-political resonances. Proposal for an Expedition consists of a researched archive of found material related to an island’s unique history, which draws it into a contextual relationship with the broader narrative of environmental history in New Zealand. By inviting one to closely scrutinize the context, Proposal for an Expedition subtly asks the viewer to engage with its documents to consider the impacts of human activity on a highly altered New Zealand landscape. The project examines how archival material represents our understanding a crucial, yet often misconstrued site of intervention – our changing understanding of ecology in a post-colonial landscape. Yet somewhere in the project, another process is at large: the true nature of the site must and will, inevitably remain hidden.