Tree mortality is a fundamental process governing forest dynamics, but understanding tree mortality patterns is challenging
because large, long-term datasets are required. Describing size-specific mortality patterns can be especially difficult, due to
few trees in larger size classes. We used permanent plot data from Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (mountain beech)
forest on the eastern slopes of the Southern Alps, New Zealand, where the fates of trees on 250 plots of 0.04 ha were
followed, to examine: (1) patterns of size-specific mortality over three consecutive periods spanning 30 years, each
characterised by different disturbance, and (2) the strength and direction of neighbourhood crowding effects on sizespecific
mortality rates. We found that the size-specific mortality function was U-shaped over the 30-year period as well as
within two shorter periods characterised by small-scale pinhole beetle and windthrow disturbance. During a third period,
characterised by earthquake disturbance, tree mortality was less size dependent. Small trees (,20 cm in diameter) were
more likely to die, in all three periods, if surrounded by a high basal area of larger neighbours, suggesting that sizeasymmetric
competition for light was a major cause of mortality. In contrast, large trees ($20 cm in diameter) were more
likely to die in the first period if they had few neighbours, indicating that positive crowding effects were sometimes
important for survival of large trees. Overall our results suggest that temporal variability in size-specific mortality patterns,
and positive interactions between large trees, may sometimes need to be incorporated into models of forest dynamics.
This paper analyses the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, which has been through dramatic changes since it was struck by a series of earthquakes of different intensities between 2010 and 2011. The objective is to develop a deeper understanding of resilience by looking at changes in green and grey infrastructures. The study can be helpful to reveal a way of doing comparative analysis using resilience as a theoretical framework. In this way, it might be possible to assess the blueprint of future master plans by considering how important the interplay between green and grey infrastructure is for the resilience capacity of cities.
Natural hazards continue to have adverse effects on communities and households worldwide, accelerating research on proactively identifying and enhancing characteristics associated with resilience. Although resilience is often characterized as a return to normal, recent studies of postdisaster recovery have highlighted the ways in which new opportunities can emerge following disruption, challenging the status quo. Conversely, recovery and reconstruction may serve to reinforce preexisting social, institutional, and development pathways. Our understanding of these dynamics is limited however by the small number of practice examples, particularly for rural communities in developed nations. This study uses a social–ecological inventory to document the drivers, pathways, and mechanisms of resilience following a large-magnitude earthquake in Kaikōura, a coastal community in Aotearoa New Zealand. As part of the planning and implementation phase of a multiyear project, we used the tool as the basis for indepth and contextually sensitive analysis of rural resilience. Moreover, the deliberate application of social–ecological inventory was the first step in the research team reengaging with the community following the event. The inventory process provided an opportunity for research partners to share their stories and experiences and develop a shared understanding of changes that had taken place in the community. Results provide empirical insight into reactions to disruptive change associated with disasters. The inventory also informed the design of targeted research collaborations, established a platform for longer-term community engagement, and provides a baseline for assessing longitudinal changes in key resilience-related characteristics and community capacities. Findings suggest the utility of social–ecological inventory goes beyond natural resource management, and that it may be appropriate in a range of contexts where institutional, social, and economic restructuring have developed out of necessity in response to felt or anticipated external stressors.
