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New Zealand’s isolation and periods of marine transgression have limited its biota to an extent which can be considered depauperate, even by island standards. Endemic vertebrates are rare and prominent invertebrate families, such as the renowned forest defoliators of the Lymantriidae, are absent. The proven vulnerability of the flora to introduced vertebrates reaffirms a belief in the... [Thesis or Dissertation]

This research project explores opportunities for sustainable design in New Zealand. Recently a new framework for sustainable design was proposed by environmental chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough who suggest that the current paradigm of cradle to grave product development is unable to provide a solution to the world’s current ecological crisis, and a “cradle to... [Thesis or Dissertation]

Content removed from thesis due to copyright restrictions: Schwelm, A., Barron, N. J., Zhang, S. & Bradshaw, R. E. (in press). Early expression of aflatoxin-like dothistromin genes in the forest pathogen Dothistroma septosporum.Dothistroma septosporum causes pine needle blight, a foliar disease currently causing epidemics in the Northern hemisphere. D. septosporum synthesizes dothistromin, a mycotoxin similar in structure to the aflatoxin (AF) precursor versicolorin B. Orthologs of AF genes, required for the biosynthesis of dothistromin, have been identified along with others that are speculated to be involved in the... [Thesis or Dissertation]

Phylogenetic relationships of New Zealand species of Brassicaceae belonging to the South Island endemic Ischnocarpus, Iti, Notothlaspi, and Pachycladon, and the indigenous Cardamine, Cheesemania, Lepidium, and Rorippa were studied using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequences. Results support a monophyletic Notothlaspi and suggest that species of this genus are not closely... [Journal Article]

Phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequence data from 70 species and 40 genera of Araliaceae (representing all major lineages within the "core group" of the family) do not support the widely used traditional division of Araliaceae into three tribes. Tribe Aralieae (characterized by imbricate petals) is found nested within a paraphyletic Schefflerieae (whose taxa have valvate petals). There... [Journal Article]

[Conference Item]

Prepared for Port Hills Ranger Service, Christchurch City Council.Weta motels were used to non-destructively sample cavity-dwelling species to provide a snapshot of forest diversity and health. Another non-destructive sampling method uses wooden discs as facsimiles for natural fallen logs to sample large soil-dwelling insects. This work reports on the invertebrate diversity of ten reserves on the Port Hills using two nondestructive sampling methods; weta... [Book]

Content removed from thesis due to copyright restrictions: Eaton, C. J., I. Jourdain, et al. (2008). "Functional analysis of a fungal endophyte stress-activated MAP kinase." Current Genetics 53(3): 163-174. Scott, B. and C. J. Eaton (2008). "Role of reactive oxygen species in fungal cellular differentiations." Current Opinion in Microbiology 11(6): 488-493.In the mutually beneficial association between the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae and perennial ryegrass, fungal growth is highly regulated and coordinated with that of the host. This implies there must be signalling between the fungus and its host to maintain this close association. Recent work has shown a novel role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this symbiotic maintenance, with... [Thesis or Dissertation]

Russian text, in Cyrillic script.The recently established, demonstration native garden in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens is a response to the need to show, at a practical scale, how we can step up a level in the range of indigenous species that are suitable for gardens. It was designed and established by Lincoln University staff and advanced students, Landcare Research, the Gardens staff and sponsors. The garden illustrates... [Journal Article]

There are many factors that have been proposed to contribute to plant invasiveness in nonnative ecosystems. Traits of invading species are one of them. It has been proposed that successful species at a certain invasion stage share particular traits, which could be used to predict the behaviour of potentially invasive plants at the respective stage. Three main stages of invasion are... [Thesis or Dissertation]

There are many factors that have been proposed to contribute to plant invasiveness in nonnative ecosystems. Traits of invading species are one of them. It has been proposed that successful species at a certain invasion stage share particular traits, which could be used to predict the behaviour of potentially invasive plants at the respective stage. Three main stages of invasion are... [Thesis or Dissertation]

There are many factors that have been proposed to contribute to plant invasiveness in nonnative ecosystems. Traits of invading species are one of them. It has been proposed that successful species at a certain invasion stage share particular traits, which could be used to predict the behaviour of potentially invasive plants at the respective stage. Three main stages of invasion are... [Thesis or Dissertation]

The family Leguminosae is one of the largest families of flowering plants with members widely distributed throughout the world. The characteristic feature of the family is the fruit which is a pod. The family is divided into three sub-families (Mimosoideae, Caesalpinoideae and Papilionoideae) according to the form of the flower. This key deals with the sub-family Papilionoideae which has... [Book]

Anthocyanin concentration is an important determinant of the colour of many fruits. In apple (Malus x domestica), centuries of breeding have produced numerous varieties in which levels of anthocyanin pigment vary widely and change differently in response to environmental and developmental stimuli. The apple fruit cortex is usually colourless, although germplasm does exist where the cortex is... [Thesis or Dissertation]

Embargoed until 1 January 2011The filamin family act as scaffolding proteins associating with actin filmanents, acting through a highly conserved actin binding domain (ABD). The ABD of the filamins is homologous to that found in other F-actin binding proteins such as dystrophin. Mutations in the filamin A gene cause a wide range of disease symptoms in humans reflecting the diversity of the roles that filamin A has in cell... [Thesis or Dissertation]

Embargoed till 18 November 2011Bacteriocins, typically secreted by Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, are ribosomally-synthesised antimicrobial peptides which inhibit the growth of competing bacteria. We have purified a 43 amino acid bacteriocin, plantaricin KW30 (PlnKW30) produced by Lactobacillus plantarum KW30, that has little amino acid sequence similarity to any other characterised bacteriocin. The gene encoding... [Thesis or Dissertation]

The family Leguminosae is one of the largest families of flowering plants with members widely distributed throughout the world. The characteristic feature of the family is the fruit which is a pod. The family is divided into three sub-families (Mimosoideae, Caesalpinoideae and Papilionoideae) according to the form of the flower. This key deals with the sub-family Papilionoideae which has... [Book]

The family Leguminosae is one of the largest families of flowering plants with members widely distributed throughout the world. The characteristic feature of the family is the fruit which is a pod. The family is divided into three sub-families (Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Papilionaceae) according to the form of the flower. This key deals with the sub-family Papilionaceae which has pea-like... [Book]

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Californian, Canada, or creeping thistle) is an exotic perennial herb indigenous to Eurasia that successfully established in New Zealand (NZ) approximately 130 years ago. Presently, C. arvense is considered one of the worst invasive weeds in NZ arable and pastoral productions systems. The mechanism most commonly invoked to explain the apparent increased vigour of... [Thesis or Dissertation]

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Californian, Canada, or creeping thistle) is an exotic perennial herb indigenous to Eurasia that successfully established in New Zealand (NZ) approximately 130 years ago. Presently, C. arvense is considered one of the worst invasive weeds in NZ arable and pastoral productions systems. The mechanism most commonly invoked to explain the apparent increased vigour of... [Thesis or Dissertation]

A survey of the Blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) was conducted between the Taramakau River and the Mokihinui River on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand from 1 October 2005 until 24 January 2006. The primary aim was to map the distribution of penguins within the study area, estimate population size, document the timing of the breeding season and identify threats. There is a... [Report]

Experiments were conducted to assess whether a concept termed 'attract and reward' (A&R) could enhance conservation biological control (CBC). In A&R, a synthetically-produced herbivore induced plant volatile (HIPV) ('attract') is combined with a floral resource ('reward'). It is anticipated that the two will work synergistically attracting natural enemies... [Thesis or Dissertation]

The sap beetle genus Carpophilus Stephens (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is a large genus consisting of over 200 species and are found worldwide. Several species are important pests of crops and stored products, and are frequently intercepted as part of biosecurity operations. The genus is poorly known taxonomically, and there are several species groups that are challenging to identify by... [Thesis or Dissertation]

The sap beetle genus Carpophilus Stephens (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is a large genus consisting of over 200 species and are found worldwide. Several species are important pests of crops and stored products, and are frequently intercepted as part of biosecurity operations. The genus is poorly known taxonomically, and there are several species groups that are challenging to identify by... [Thesis or Dissertation]

The sap beetle genus Carpophilus Stephens (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is a large genus consisting of over 200 species and are found worldwide. Several species are important pests of crops and stored products, and are frequently intercepted as part of biosecurity operations. The genus is poorly known taxonomically, and there are several species groups that are challenging to identify by... [Thesis or Dissertation]