MASSEY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROJECTS (25/10/21 Update)

A Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) was signed December 2020 to facilitate research and teaching collaboration between Massey University and the Shorebirds Trust with the purpose to work together to enhance research in conservation and outcomes that benefits New Zealand’s biodiversity. Under this framework, two initial long-term research studies were launched last 2020/2021 breeding season. Here’s a quick update: 

Fairy Tern Research Study: During 2020/2021 breeding season, Massey University undergraduate students completed a 10-week summer student project exploring New Zealand Fairy Tern (Tara iti) foraging and fledging success at Mangawhai, Waipu, and Pakiri; identified potential disturbances (other fairy terns, other bird species that rely on same habitat & food, predators, & human disturbance) and fairy tern responses to the disturbances. This pilot project forms a foundation for further work on NZFT and was a collaboration between DOC, Shorebirds Trust, Tara Iti Conservation Manager Alex Flavell-Johnson and Massey University. For the upcoming breeding season 2021/2022, a graduate study student has been selected to continue this valuable research (Year 2) on the fairy tern. 

Biodiversity Monitoring Research Study: Year 1 research goals were (1) to establish the initial map identifying patterns in landscape that will influence the move to wetland connectivity and promote greater biodiversity, and (2) set up transect lines to monitor change in plant and bird diversity, and view the influence of habitat types on predator control. 

Where to from here
(Year 2 Breeding season 2021/2022): 

• With the initial map data, it will be much easier to see the land cover change over time 

• In conjunction with the data collected from the transect lines; trends will be easily deduced 

• Looking at the way in which individuals of different population interact with each other through complex food webs- a better ecosystem picture for further study 

• Building on the initial map data, an interactive story map online will be created when more data is collected from the transect lines = making the information of what lives where in Tara iti readily available.