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    Conserving biodiversity through collaborative management : an investigation of interactions between ecosystems and societal systems and the Whangamarino wetland : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Kessels, Gerardus (Gerry) Henricus Anthonius
    The notion of collaborative management is analysed as a method to achieve biological diversity conservation. This is explored primarily in the context of New Zealand's social, cultural and economic values and norms, and the influences of these human constructs on sensitive ecological systems, using the Whangamarino Wetland and its sub-catchment as a case study. Collaborative management can be defined as a situation in which some or all of the relevant stakeholders in a protected area are involved in a substantial way in governance, management and monitoring activities. In the New Zealand context, collaborative management would need to involve an equal partnership between the Crown and tangata whenua at a governance level. At a management and monitoring level, all the relevant stakeholders (primarily including the local community, recreational and resource users, and mana whenua) would be involved in a process which specifies and guarantees their respective functions, rights and responsibilities with regard to the relevant ecosystem. From the Naturalistic Inquiry research process employed, six propositional statements were developed from the data: I. Multidisciplinary, integrated and interagency partnerships will enhance biodiversity conservation management decisions as well as promote more efficient, effective and relevant monitoring programmes. 2. Tangata whenua have a legitimate and equal status role, to the Crown in the governance, management and monitoring of the Whangamarino Wetland. 3. Local communities and resource users are ready and willing to participate in a collaborative management approach to resource management issues within the Whangamarino sub-catchment. 4. Crown agencies understand what collaborative management entails but there are political, personal, institutional and capital barriers to implementation. 5. Skilled leadership, policy flexibility and a common vision amongst all parties involved will improve the quality of biodiversity conservation outcomes. 6. Incorporating local and indigenous knowledge, ideas and experience will produce better biodiversity conservation outcomes and monitoring processes, and build public trust and support for natural resource institutions.
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    Are aquatic invertebrates useful for assessing wetland condition? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Management at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Ekelund, Lovisa
    Freshwater wetlands are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems and at the same time of the most threatened globally. New Zealand has lost 90% of its wetlands and of those remaining, 60% are considered degraded. Establishing accurate wetland inventories and assessing wetland condition are priorities for the management and conservation of these important ecosystems. Aquatic invertebrates are used worldwide to assess the condition of other aquatic ecosystems such as rivers and lakes; however, their use for assessing wetland condition has not been extensive. A wetland’s hydroperiod is considered one of the most important environmental variables affecting wetland biota and one that has also been most altered by anthropogenic stresses. The second chapter of this thesis analyses the effect of hydroperiod on the macroinvertebrate communities of the Ō Tū Wharekai (Ashburton lakes) wetland system in New Zealand. A total of 40 taxa from 11 orders were recorded from 4 permanent lakes, 3 semi-permanent ponds, and 7 temporary ponds in September 2016. The macroinvertebrate assemblages in lakes were distinct to those in semi-permanent and temporary ponds. Overall, temporary ponds were slightly more diverse than the semipermanent ponds and lakes. Semi-permanent and temporary ponds were most similar to each other in macroinvertebrate composition. They host more species of small crustaceans such as cladocerans and ostracods, while species belonging to the Trichoptera, Odonata and Hirudinea orders were only present at permanent sites. The results emphasize the need to include small and seasonal wetlands in freshwater conservation efforts since they often hold unique biotic communities. In the third chapter, the potential to use macroinvertebrate communities in wetland assessment is evaluated. The macroinvertebrate communities of 14 freshwater wetlands in the lower North Island were sampled. The sites represent a gradient of wetland condition and include urban lagoons, agricultural swamps and lacustrine wetlands with recognized ecological value. A total of 63 invertebrate taxa were identified, of which crustaceans were the most abundant. There appeared to be no link between the composition and diversity of macroinvertebrate communities and wetland condition. However, of the habitat characteristics measured at each site, nutrient enrichment appeared to be the most important variable in determining macroinvertebrate assemblages. On the other hand, macrophyte communities appear to be more reflective of wetland condition. There are considerable knowledge gaps regarding invertebrate response to environmental change in freshwater wetlands and this limits their suitability as a biomonitoring tool. Assessing wetland condition accurately is one of the greatest challenges for the management and conservation of these threatened ecosystems. Aquatic invertebrates are used as biomonitoring tool for many freshwater ecosystems but not wetlands. This is because the way wetland invertebrates respond to environmental change remains unclear. So far, in New Zealand, there appears to be no link between wetland condition scores and invertebrate communities. Thus, the final section of this thesis proposes a simple dichotomous wetland condition scoring system exemplified with information from the 14 freshwater wetland sampled in the North Island. The method has limitations, but allows the integration of biotic data into wetland condition assessment.
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    Prioritisation of wetlands of the Rangitikei catchment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Amaranathan, Usharani
    This study aimed to prioritise wetlands of the Rangitikei Catchment. The prioritisation will enable the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council to apply its limited resources in an effective way to preserve the biodiversity of the wetlands of the catchment. A process was designed to achieve the project aim. The first step in the process was the establishment of two conservation goals: 1)Maintain species diversity, 2)Eliminate threats within wetlands. Secondly, the wetlands of the Rangitikei Catchment were surveyed to collect state and pressure information. 25 wetland sites were surveyed using the REWA survey method. Data collected was then analysed, first using the complementarity programme Sites V1.0. However, complementarity analysis did not achieve a clarified prioritisation of wetland sites because extreme variability was found among sites. In particular, complementarity analysis did not respond well to having two very different conservation goals of pressure and state. Therefore, 13 prioritisation criteria were employed based on elements of pressure and state. A method was devised to overcome problems of weighting criteria. True scores were converted to adjusted scores of 1 to 4 using the box and whisker division method. This method also allowed for easier replication and manipulation of data as well as clear visual representation, unlike other methods. A unique prioritisation framework was then devised which allowed multiple criteria (in this study pressure and state) to be assessed simultaneously. The framework also allowed the large amounts of data involved in the prioritisation process to be presented as a single priority ranking. The prioritisation framework is a relatively simple, repeatable and highly adaptable method. The framework does not compromise the contribution of each criterion to the overall value of the wetland. This resulted in prioritisation of the surveyed wetland sites of the Rangitikei Catchment and allowed achievement of the study's conservation goals. The box and whisker division method and prioritisation framework presented in the study are two unique methods that may be applied in future prioritisation programmes. Both methods provide simple and visual representations of the complex processes involved in the prioritisation of wetland sites and respond to multiple and opposing conservation goals. The nature of the prioritisation framework allows information to be added as it becomes available as well as accommodating the addition and expansion of conservation goals.
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    Sustainable ecological systems and urban development in New Zealand : a wetlands case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Palmer, Karen Thelma
    The destiny of urban wetlands lies largely in the hands of the urban planners. The results of this study suggest that planners are underestimating the importance of the urban wetland with irreversible consequences. The ecological integrity of natural systems like wetlands is inevitably compromised when they occur in urban environments. The Resource Management Act 1991 altered the approach to urban development from being entirely anthropocentric to one of consideration of the environment in which such developments were planned. Supposedly, adherence to the Act has resulted in a more focused approach to environmental outcomes in district and regional plans. However, this research into the effects of urban development on urban wetland riparian areas identifies a lack of appreciation of their structure and function. Eight palustrine wetlands were assessed for health and riparian function. They comprised two non-urban wetlands that provided the best-available ecological data on wetland health and six urban wetlands. Ecological indicators and urbanisation data were incorporated into a multi-metric model (named the Urban Wetland Health Index) to evaluate the biological health of urban wetlands. A key finding of this research is that the urban wetlands have poor ecological health and functioning indicated by excessive nutrients and algal blooms. Other key findings included the inadequate structure and function of the wetland riparian areas; the loss of riparian habitat associated with a lack of indigenous vegetation; the minimal cultural values given to the urban wetlands; and the negative impacts of urban imperviousness and inadequate stormwater infrastructure on wetland health. Notably, older residential areas that had poor stormwater connections to appropriate drainage also had the least healthy urban wetlands. The role of stormwater runoff in compromising the health of the urban wetlands was not addressed in the 2010 Kapiti Coast District Plan Review documents regarding Landscape and Biodiversity. These documents guide the development of the ‘second generation’ district plan. The Urban Wetland Health Index was found to be robust and reliable with this research. It was designed to address a gap in the tools available to planners, ecologists and other professionals seeking to assess the impacts of urban development on urban wetland ecosystem health. This Index is an important tool for use by councils in reviewing their district plans and undertaking plan changes. The incorporation of ecosystem services science into their policies and plans, and the understanding of the value of urban wetland ecosystem services, is needed to foster urban sustainability.