Welcome to Massey Research Online
Massey Research Online is an open access digital archive of the research and scholarship of Massey University and is jointly managed by the University Library and Information Technology Services.
Massey Research Online contains research theses and research outputs including published work by Massey University students and academic staff as well as peer-reviewed material not published elsewhere. In the case of previously published research outputs all requirements of copyright owners are observed.
Items in Massey Research Online are fully indexed and searchable on Google Scholar and NZ Research.
To submit research outputs to Massey Research Online, check out the Depositing content to MRO page. For all other queries, email the Library.
Communities in DSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Item
Enhancing conservation outcomes for New Zealand’s coastal ecosystems through knowledge of hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)spatial ecology : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Conservation Biology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024) Paterson, Erica Grace
Aotearoa New Zealand has experienced significant biodiversity loss from the impacts of invasive species. This thesis has applied spatial ecology principles to conservation biology, focusing on invasive hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in a duneland ecosystem in northern New Zealand. Due to its generally milder climate compared to Europe and the absence of natural predators that hedgehogs face in their native habitats, hedgehogs have thrived as an invasive species in numerous ecosystems across New Zealand. Reliable estimates of home range sizes for hedgehogs in duneland ecosystems are critical as less than 30 percent of New Zealand’s natural duneland systems remain for native species such as the New Zealand dotterel (Charadrius obscurus aquilonius) and the critically endangered New Zealand fairy tern (Sternula nereis). My research aimed to quantify and understand hedgehog spatial ecology and habitat use in Northland’s duneland coastal ecosystems and provide insights that can guide more effective control measures of hedgehogs. My study was conducted at Tara Iti Ecological Sanctuary (Tara Iti), located in Mangawhai, Northland, New Zealand, from Spring 2022 to late Autumn 2023. Eleven hedgehogs (four males and five females during November 2022 and two males during May 2023) were live captured and fitted with Lotek Pinpoint VHF-75 tags for a maximum of seven days. GPS data were used to estimate the home range and nightly distances travelled by hedgehogs. Trail camera sampling was carried out to indicate the presence of pest species and six years of hedgehog trapping data from the study areas were analysed. Hedgehogs occupy a small core area of their home range intensively while covering its entirety over several foraging nights. Home ranges overlap significantly between individuals of either sex, but core ranges are more independent. The overall mean home range size was 7.1 ha ± 1.6 ha. The average home range was higher for males (8.1 ± 2.3 ha) than for females (5.6 ± 2.1 ha), but the difference was not statistically significant due to small sample sizes and high variation between individuals. The mean nightly home range was similar for males (3.4 ha) and females (3.6 ha). The average nightly distance travelled by female hedgehogs (2054 m ± 580 m) was higher than male hedgehogs (1632 m ± 237 m). One female hedgehog travelled over 4 km in one sampling night, this is the highest distance that has ever been recorded by a European hedgehog in a single night. It is suspected that this was a dispersal event given the linearity of the trip. This hedgehog covered the full width of Tara Iti from the neighbouring farmland to the edge of the golf course, indicating that hedgehogs can travel from the neighbouring farmland to shorebird nesting areas in one night of activity. I found a strong seasonal trend in the hedgehog trapping data, with peaks in January, February (austral summer), and May (austral autumn) and a low in July (austral winter). Based on my results, DOC250 are more effective traps for targeting hedgehogs and roads and habitat edges should be utilized. To control hedgehogs in vulnerable areas, a trap density of 100 m by 100 m, with one DOC250 trap per hectare, should be used. An intensive trapping program, primarily in early spring and summer, should target hedgehogs to impact the adult population and protect breeding shorebirds. Secondary intensive control should be undertaken in late autumn to primarily target females and juvenile hedgehogs while they are preparing for hibernation. My findings support the need for specific home range estimates for vulnerable ecosystems due to variability and plasticity in hedgehog behaviour based on habitat and climate factors. Trapping regimes should consider home range estimates, average nightly distances travelled, recorded dispersal distances, and habitat preferences when planning hedgehog control programs.
Item
How New Zealand greyhound racing industry licensed persons perceive the industry, greyhound welfare, and their ability to create change : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024) Korver, Sandrine
The greyhound racing industry in New Zealand is facing increasing concerns about animal welfare, and its social license to operate is diminishing. A social license to operate refers to the informal and intangible agreement that determines whether an industry or business can continue operating based on its social acceptability. The New Zealand government, represented by Hon. Grant Robertson, put the greyhound racing industry on notice in September 2021 following an independent review of the industry and its practices. The review recommended major changes in three areas: data recording, transparency of all activities, and improvement of animal welfare in general. In this study, I aimed to better understand greyhound racing industry participants' perspectives, practices, and attitudes, particularly regarding greyhound welfare and management. This study provided critical insight into a commonly overlooked and unvalued stakeholder whose perspectives are essential in understanding the appetite to make changes to align with evolving community expectations. I surveyed 46 New Zealand registered greyhound racing license holders and collected quantitative and qualitative data. I used a mixed-methods approach, including reflexive thematic analysis for qualitative data. This research provides a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives, motivations, and opinions of license holders within the New Zealand greyhound racing industry. The participants care deeply about their dogs and understand the basic requirements for the racing greyhounds. However, they could benefit from further education regarding what good welfare means for greyhounds. The participants rated affective state and survival-related categories of welfare as the most important categories for ensuring good greyhound welfare. Behaviour interactions were rated as less important towards maintaining good greyhound welfare. Their responses around greyhound welfare indicated further clarification of terminology would be beneficial and would elucidate whether increased animal welfare educational efforts are necessary. This research highlights the key areas where changes are needed and suggests effective approaches to support, involve, empower, and educate the racing greyhound license holders. Greyhound license holders felt excluded from decision-making that impacts them and their dogs. They wanted greater support from industry authorities to improve canine welfare. They expressed their eagerness to improve their industry and their desire to be included in decisions regarding changes, through being included in committees, meetings and ensuring their input is acknowledged and applied. They are committed to improving the social license to operate. They want the public to understand the sport better and greyhound welfare through increased transparency and openness, by involving the public in open days and events. The findings of the study will help the license holders adapt and apply these approaches to improve greyhound welfare and management practices.
Item
Methane emissions of grazing dairy cows fed graded levels of concentrates : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024) Bosher, Troy James
The GHG inventory of New Zealand currently assumes that all dairy cattle emit 21.6 grams of methane (CH4) for every kilogram of dry matter (kg DM) of pasture eaten. However, supplement feeding has increased in New Zealand pastoral systems in recent decades to comprise ̴18% of the total feed offered to New Zealand’s dairy herd. Previous studies have shown different diets can alter the CH4 emissions of dairy cattle and therefore the objective of this study was to determine the effect of increasing concentrate intakes on pastoral dairy cows’ CH4 emissions and milk production. Early lactation dairy cows (n = 72) were allocated (n = 18 per treatment group) to receive 0, 2, 4 or 6 kg DM of concentrates per day while grazing pasture ad-libitum over 63 days. Methane emissions were measured in the field for individual animals using the ‘GreenFeed’ automated emissions monitoring system. Changes to liveweight and body condition score, daily milk production and weekly milk composition were recorded and used to estimate individual animals’ dry matter intakes. Liveweight change, milk production and estimated dry matter intakes were not found to significantly change with increased concentrate feeding rates. Methane production (g CH4 / day) was not affected by concentrate feeding and was similar across all treatment groups, however CH4 yield (g CH4 / kg DM) and CH4 intensity (g CH4 / kg fat and protein corrected milk) linearly decreased with increasing concentrate inclusion in the diet (P = 0.041; P = 0.022, respectively). This was also confirmed by a significant and linear decrease of the methane to carbon dioxide ratio (CO2 : CH4) emitted by animals with increased concentrate feeding (P = 0.011). These results have demonstrated that CH4 yields change when feeding increasing levels of concentrate feed to pasture-based dairy cattle in New Zealand, which differs from the current assumption for calculating the national GHG inventory. Responses in CH4 emissions and milk production parameters were however relatively small in this study however, which was likely due to generous pasture offers that resulted in a large substitution of pasture as concentrate feeding rates increased.
Item
Optimisation of sugar concentration and fermentation temperature to produce a low sugar green tea-flavoured water kefir beverage : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Food Technology, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 16th April 2026.
(Massey University, 2024) Kour, Vishaldeep
Water kefir is a refreshing, self-carbonated, slightly sweet, low-alcoholic beverage characterised by a mildly acidic taste and yeasty aroma. Water kefir is prepared on a household scale or semi industrial scale by inoculating sugar substrate with starter culture i.e., water kefir grains, consisting of a multispecies consortium of symbiotic lactic acid bacteria and yeast embedded in a polysaccharide matrix. Some of the microorganisms found in the kefir grains are recognized as probiotics. The improved health awareness of consumers and popular trends such as healthy hydration, low added sugar, lactose intolerance and natural products are driving the research and development ofnon-dairy beverages which has created a niche market for fermented beverages such as water kefir. Previous research on water kefir was mainly focused on the identification and role of microorganisms present in the kefir grains. In recent years, growing interest in fermented lactose free water kefir have led to the exploration of various sugar substrates (raw sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, molasses and honey), plant based substrates, dried fruits (apricot, dates, figs and raisin) and fermentation factors such as sugar concentration, temperature, kefir grain concentration and fermentation time. The aim of this study was to optimise the fermentation conditions (temperature and sugar concentration) to produce a novel, diary-free low added sugar water kefir beverage using green tea. -- Shortened abstract.
Item
Optimising the extraction of plant milk from oats : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Food Technology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2024) Zhou, Yuanhang
In recent years, due to the various benefits of plant milk, it has become an ideal substitute for cow’s milk, among which oat milk contains many beneficial substances for the human body such as β- Glucan, phytic acid, avenanthramides and phenolic compounds. However, the cost of oat milk production is relatively high. Therefore, this study aims to improve the yield of oat milk by determining the best enzymatic hydrolysis conditions of oat milk. The study shows that the optimal production condition of oat milk is: the enzyme concentration is 16ul/500ml oat slurry, the incubation temperature is 76℃, and the slurry concentration is 8%, the hydrolysis time was 20 minutes and pH was not controlled. Oat milk produced by the optimum process was UHT treated and tested for stability and rheology. Sedimentation occurred within 3 days at both 4°C and 25°C. The power law model explains the rheological behavior of oat milk at 25 ° C, 35 ° C, 45 ° C, 55 ° C, and 65 ° C. Further recommendations to the process include addition of additives to improve stability and testing of sensory properties. The optimal process can be scaled for further testing.