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    The roles of morphology, individuality and arrival from migration in the foraging ecology of bar-tailed godwits at the Manawatū River estuary : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Ross, Tobias Alexander
    Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri) are a hugely size-variable shorebird exhibiting reverse sexual dimorphism as well as substantial variation within the sexes. This variation is especially pronounced in bill lengths, and differences in bill size could result in dietary differences between individuals. I studied the foraging ecology of individually-marked godwits at the Manawatū River Estuary in New Zealand, a small site amenable to making repeated observations of birds by videography. Specifically, I investigated the effects of bill size variation on intake rates and diet composition of godwits and tested for individual specialisation. Birds were found to use prey-specific foraging modes, the effect of which far outstripped that of any morphological or environmental factor. I found that shorter-billed birds (males) had slightly higher and less variable intake rates than their longer-billed (female) counterparts. The shorter-billed birds focused their efforts on catching small surface prey such as Potamopyrgus, to the extent where around half of the males specialised on these small snails. In comparison, longer-billed birds ate a more diverse array of prey items, notably consuming more worms which were buried deeply in the sediment. In addition to some birds specialising on certain prey, other prey were taken preferentially by only certain individuals across the size spectrum. This suggests that the diets of godwits are not only influenced by morphology but also by individual preferences of the birds themselves. I also tested for a carry-over effect of prolonged flight on foraging performance of godwits. The 8–10-day post-breeding migratory flight of godwits direct from Alaska to New Zealand is the longest known endurance flight of any land-bird. This flight has many expected physiological impacts, including a reduction in digestive tract mass that could lead to lower functionality of the digestive tract and therefore limit intake rates after arrival. By monitoring the daily occurrence of marked birds I determined when birds arrived on migration, and tested whether intake rates and diet choice changed in the fortnight after birds arrived. I found that intake rates were slightly higher and less variable with time since arrival. Furthermore, there was an increase in the consumption of the hard-shelled mud snail Amphibola crenata with time, suggesting a recovery of gizzard mass. Given the scale of the migration, however, these effects were surprisingly small and imply that diet choice and energy intake are affected only slightly by a physiological carry-over effect from migration.
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    Legitimacy of collaborative environmental governance in New Zealand : the Manawatū River Leaders' Forum : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Environmental Management at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Naovalat, Souphamith
    Over the past few decades, collaborative governance has emerged as an alternative to traditionally adversarial approaches such as hierarchical command-and-control regulation. A wide range of governance theory praises collaborative governance with multi-stakeholders’ participation as an effective strategy to deal with a public issue. Environmental deterioration, such as water pollution, is a cross-cutting issue that has been in a favour of collaborative approaches to resolve. The promise of collaborative environmental governance is to make environmental policy more effective for sustainability. However, multi-stakeholders’ participation poses challenges in practice if it really makes any difference to and is compatible with environmental policy decision-making processes within a set timeframe. Power imbalance, for example, entails legitimacy deficits to ensure the effectiveness of collaborative environmental governance. Therefore, legitimacy is an important concept that defines a political acceptance whether or to what extent collaborative governance can result in more sustainable or effective environmental policy. This study assesses legitimacy of collaborative environmental governance by using the Manawatu River Leaders’ Forum (MRLF), a collaborative forum to solve water quality issue in southern North Island of New Zealand, as a case study. The study focuses on developing a framework for assessing legitimacy based on three types of legitimacy including input, output and throughput legitimacy that are applicable to explore the MRLF’s effectiveness. In corresponding to these legitimacy types, the legitimacy assessment framework is designed with three dimensional factors including participatory quality, policy effectiveness and collaborative process with their own indicators and criteria. Results of analysing published data indicate that the MRLF is basically legitimated as a fundamental commencement for collaboration as participations by different stakeholders are active and collective decisions have been implemented. However, interviews with MRLF’s key stakeholders demonstrate different perspectives on legitimacy through an existing conflict. Through the three dimensional factors, governmental stakeholders perceive high legitimacy, while most non-governmental stakeholders perceive low legitimacy. This study suggests ways to look conflict as a collaborative learning, rather than fighting, to bridge a synergy between collaboration and conflict. Although collaboration aims to resolve conflicts, collaboration should be learnt as one aspect of conflict management through controversial policy settings.
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    Some aspects of the ecology of the intertidal benthic biota of the Manawatu River estuary : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1976) Butcher, Michael Robert
    This study was undertaken to investigate some of the aspects of the ecology of the benthic flora and fauna on mudflats at the Manawatu River estuary. Scientists and laymen alike are becoming generally aware of the dearth of information known about most New Zealand estuaries. Four samples were taken at four stations along transects that were positioned up the estuary to give a transition from almost seawater to river water with no tidal influence. Previous works on estuaries, and descriptions of the methods implemented are given, followed by the results obtained. One section is devoted to the testing of salinity (chlorinity) tolerances and preferences of male Helice crassa (Dana), the common mud crab. This work is not in the depth of that carried out by Phillips (1968) on Hemigrapsus edwardsi (Hilgendorf), but it does give a hitherto undocumented account, albeit brief, of the effects of various salinities on the serum chloride content of male specimens of Helice crassa of varying body weights. The author has tried to relate environmental salinities along with the other factors measured; Sediment size, pH, Redox potentials (Eh), Oxygen content and temperature, to the distribution of all the plants and animals found. It appears that mainly sediment size, incorporating silt content, exposure time of the mudflat between tides and the water content of the sediments are the factors determining biotal distributions. Temperature is so variable seasonally that the animals adapt to the changes, oxygen appears in high enough concentrations as not to be significant, pH is reasonably constant and Eh is highly variable but within a range tolerated by all animals found. A possible beach zonation is also discussed.
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    An uneasy relationship : Palmerston North City and the Manawatu River, 1941-2006 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) White, Jill
    This preface is a declaration of interest in aspects of this thesis. As a Palmerston North City Councillor from 1983 to 1992 I had a considerable interest in Civil Defence and was involved in the welfare operation in the 1988 flood in the south-west corner of the City. When elected to Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council in 1989 my interest also encompassed the Lower Manawatu Flood Control Scheme (LMS), to the extent of organising a bus tour of the scheme for the Palmerston North Local History Group in 1990. In 1994 I was one of the Regional Council members on the Public Liaison group for the Review of the LMS. In the late 1990s, as Mayor of Palmerston North I was necessarily involved in the decision-making processes for the Wastewater 2006 project. I am no longer an elected member of any local authority and represent Palmerston North City on the Wastewater Monitoring Group. After the floods of February 2004 I was asked to be the Palmerston North trustee on the newly formed Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Disaster Relief Fund Trust. I have been Chairperson of the Trust since that time. Given the intensive involvement in that work for over twelve months, my topic for a History Masters thesis more or less chose itself.
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    Structural, tectonic and climatic control of the fluvial geomorphology of the Manawatu River west of the Manawatu Gorge
    (Massey University, 1968) Fair, Eileen Eleanor
    The Manawatu River is one of the major rivers of the North Is1and of New Zealand, draining a catchment of 2,296 square miles. The river is over 120 miles long and is one of the few rivers in the world to rise on one side on an axial mountain range, flow through the range and enter the sea on the opposite side. (See Fig.1.) The Manawatu River, rising on the eastern flanks of the Ruahine Range flows south to the 'Dannevirke Depression' (Lillie, 1953, 89) where it Joins the northeastwards-flowing Mangahao, Mangatainoka and Tiraumea Rivers. These rivers with catchments on the eastern side of the Tararua-Ruahine Range, drain an elongated basin which extends from north of Dannevirke to south of Eketahuna. They join the Manawatu River in the Dannevirke Depression then flow westwards across the Tararua-Ruahine Range in the Manawatu Gorge to the Kairanga alluvial plain. Although only one-third of the river's catchment lies to the west of the axial range, the river here has an attenuated course of 63 miles, a little more than half its total length. Between February and April 1967 the writer completed a preliminary study of the terraces along the Manawatu River, between the Manawatu Gorge and the river mouth at Foxton. Investigations revealed that the best terrace development existed on the ten miles between the Gorge and Palmerston North whereas, in the lower reaches, terrace development is limited by prevalence of flooding, the swampy nature of the terrain and the progradation of the coastline. The unstable sand dunes of the coastal belt have also masked most of the terrace series in the lower reaches of the river.
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    The late Quaternary geomorphology of the lower Manawatu : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1975) Hesp, P. (Patrick)
    The geomorphology of the present Lower Manawatu floodplain and the valleys that exit at the margin of the floodplain, is presented. An introduction to the geology and geomorphology of the study area is given, and previous studies are reported where relevant. Two types of tributary valleys have been recognised in the study area. These valleys have been cut into the Tokomaru Marine Terrace. The first type recognised are predominantly gravel-floored, box-shaped valleys with headwaters in the Tararua Ranges. The second and major type recognised are box-shaped valleys without gravel floors. The first type have been formed by normal fluvial processes, while the second type were originally V-shaped, and have been infilled by estuarine sedimentation processes. The latter occurred as a direct result of the Flandrian Transgression. The morphology of the Tokomaru Marine Terrace margin is examined, and it is concluded that the margin is predominantly river-cut. The Manawatu floodplain was originally an estuary. As the Flandrian Transgression began the lower reaches of the Manawatu and eventually the Oroua Rivers were drowned. As the Transgression progressed, the Lower Manawatu became an estuary. It appears that the Himatangi Anticline and Poroutawhao High acted as effective barriers to direct marine incursion in the study area. The degree of warping and compaction of Aranuian sediments could not be ascertained. The degree of regional uplift has probably been greater than any localised anticlinal uplift which has been negligeable in the last 6000 years. An examination of fossiliferous estuarine beds near Shannon illustrates that typical estuarine processes were prevalent. A higher Post-glacial sea level than present is disputed for the study area. Finally, a brief geomorphological history of the study area is presented.