Zoology
Recent Deposits
-
How mammal exclusion using pest-resistant fencing influences terrestrial invertebrate communities at a New Zealand ecosanctuary
Despite being such important components of healthy functioning ecosystems, invertebrates are often overlooked in ecosystem restoration research, plants usually being the main focal point. There are many factors that can ... -
The Ideal Australian: The role of the gum tree in an Australian collective cultural identity
Gum trees, or eucalypts, encompass all species belonging to the genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Angophora, Stockwellia, Allosyncarpia, Eucalyptopsis and Arillastrum. They are the most abundant group of trees in Australia and ... -
The impact of sea cage salmon farming on the benthic environment of Big Glory Bay, Stewart Island
Rearing salmon in sea cages can have pronounced localised effects on benthic faunal assemblages and the physicochemical parameters of their environment. These effects result from sedimentation of pelleted feed and the ... -
Estimating population density and habitat selection of rats (Rattus spp.) and abundance of birds on the Otago Peninsula
The introduction of rats (Rattus spp.) and conversion of native forest and scrub have had a devastating effect on the biodiversity of New Zealand’s fauna and flora, threatening many native bird species with extinction. The ... -
Sharks and New Zealand News Media
Sharks could be the most feared animal in the world. They could also be the most misrepresented. Although traumatic, human-shark interactions are incredibly rare events. Yet historically, mass media disproportionately ... -
Impacts of an eye invading parasite on the behaviour and ecology of its freshwater fish host
Parasites are increasingly shown to impact ecosystem processes such as population dynamics and food web interactions. This can be accomplished by altering the host’s behaviour as a side-effect of infection, a response of ... -
Awe and Pro-environmental Behaviour
Astronauts who have looked down at Earth from the vantage point of the International Space Station, which is over four hundred kilometres away, tell a similar story of an intense feeling that overcomes them. Known as the ... -
The response and recovery of benthic macroinvertebrates from water abstractions along the Manuherikia River, New Zealand
Water abstraction for irrigation during seasonal low discharge periods alters the natural flow regime of a river. The response of macroinvertebrates to a significantly altered flow regime due to summer water abstraction ... -
Call Me Loyal: Investigation of Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) Flower Constancy in a Semi-Field Environment
Flower constancy (the tendency of pollinators to restrict visits to one floral species) provides obvious benefits to plants, however, the benefits to pollinators remain unclear. For example, specialisation to a single ... -
Effects of interspecific interactions on individual specialisation
In many species, some individuals are specialist users of a subset of the total resources available to their population, a phenomenon known as individual specialisation. This intraspecific variation has long been suspected ... -
Predicting Possums: Modelling reinvasion of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) within a New Zealand urban centre
Invasive mammalian pests threaten biodiversity globally across a diverse range of habitats. Recent interest in urban biodiversity enhancement has increased the need for effective urban pest control, however efforts are ... -
Exploration and discovery: Learning at a science centre
Free-choice learning provides the majority of human learning over the course of a lifetime. Since interactivity developed in science centres fifty years ago, hands-on learning has been spreading itself all around the world, ... -
The effects of food rationing on phenotypic plasticity in reproductive resource allocation in female wild-type zebrafish, Danio rerio
Any resources obtained by an organism must be divided between life history components, namely growth, reproduction and survival. Resources are limited, thus creating trade-offs between competing traits. One trade-off is ... -
Where Fact Meets Fiction - The Science Mockumentary
Mockumentary is a style of film that has existed since 1957, at the latest. A fictional news piece from the BBC told the story about the annual spaghetti harvest occurring in Switzerland. Presented in the style of a typical ... -
Climate change and behaviour change : empowering youth action through narrative
This thesis is a review of the literature spanning multiple disciplines to provide an overview of climate change science in the global and New Zealand context, its implications, and a context for action amongst young New ... -
Visual appeal: How the characteristics of photographs can affect science communication in Chinese national parks
As places that conserve iconic natural heritage, national parks are appropriate destinations for people to engage with and reconnect to nature. Within such parks, the interpretation of the natural science stories behind ... -
Lizards at elevation: thermal ecology and emergence activity of alpine lizards in Otago
The alpine zone is a rugged habitat that is difficult for any species to inhabit year-round. Many that do so are large mammals with specific behavioural or physiological adaptations that enhance survival in these high-elevation ... -
Using Stable Isotope Analysis to study the diet of stoats (Mustela erminea) in the alpine zone of New Zealand
Threats posed by alien invasive species are a leading cause of global biodiversity decline. In island archipelagos such as New Zealand, introduced mammalian predators prey heavily on endemic fauna that have evolved without ... -
Nesting ecology and behaviour of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) at Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary
Understanding the ecology of reproductive behaviours is an essential aspect in studying an animal species. Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), once widespread across New Zealand, have become severely restricted in distribution ... -
The Use of Regional Accent in Audio Health Communications
Cancer is a large and complex family of diseases with a variety of causes and risk factors. The health communication strategy needed to combat cancer may also need to be a large and complex family of communications. Podcasts ...