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Monitoring & Management Plan Monitoring & Management Plan Recreated Restiad Wetlands Lake Komakorau - Waikato District Lake Serpentine east - Waipa District Waikato Region, N.Z. Monica Peters i ii This work is copyright. The copying, adaptation, or issuing of this work to the public on a non-profit basis is welcomed. No other use this work is permitted without the prior consent of the copyright holder. Disclaimer: The Ministry for the Environment does not endorse or support the content of the publication in any way. March 2007 iii iv Further project funding and in kind support: v vi Monica Peters is the wetlands coordinator for the NZ Landcare Trust. Monica has 12 years experience in public/ science interface. While working on international development programmes in Mongolia and as an intern for the US National Park service, she created a diverse range of conservation- related publications aimed at children and adults. In the UK, she coordinated volunteer groups on environmental management/restoration projects for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Other projects in NZ and overseas include habitat assessment, weed eradication, bird and plant monitoring. Monica has an MSc (Ecol) from Otago University and an MAEFA from Southampton University. The New Zealand Landcare Trust (www.landcare.org.nz) promotes sustainable land management through community involvement. To achieve this, the Trust works with private rural landowners and community groups on landcare, sustainable land management and biodiversity projects. The Trust provides independent facilitation to empower groups; information brokering; support and encouragement of community groups; development of networks, partnerships and collaborations. vii viii Executive summary The overall aim of this project is to recreate rare wetlands in areas where they were once found. This is a considerable challenge as the Waikato landscape has been highly modified through land uses such as agriculture and urban development. Once covering significant tracts of the Waikato landscape, the current extent of restiad wetlands dominated by cane rush and wire rush is now very much reduced. Cane rush and wire rush are both from the family Restionaceae hence using the term restiad to describe this wetland type. Cane rush is a conservation dependent species endemic to (i.e. found only in) the northern half of the North Island, although it is now limited to three populations in the Waikato region. These wetland remnants (Kopuatai peat dome, Torehape and Moanatuatua Scientific Reserve) contain a range of other species, including little known invertebrates, some of which are yet to be scientifically named. Recreating this wetland type in new locations will open recreational and educational opportunities for the public as well as enhance the overall ecological, scientific, cultural and aesthetic values of the sites. In consultation with a technical advisory group, landowners and key agency staff, two sites were selected for restiad wetland recreation, namely Lake Komakorau (Waikato district) and Lake Serpentine east (Waipa district). The two sites fulfill a suite of social, environmental and economic criteria developed in the restiad wetland recreation Action Plan (Peters 2006). Following the recommendations in the plan, restiads and species typically found in restiad wetland margins were planted between September and November 2006 at both sites. A series of plots was established at both sites in order to statistically determine the best techniques for recreating restiad wetlands. This will enable the most successful and cost effective technique for restiad wetland recreation to be used at other suitable sites in the Waikato region. The Monitoring and Management Plan details the specific actions needed to monitor the restiad wetland flora and fauna at Lake Komakorau and Lake Serpentine east. Monitoring protocols are adapted from the Handbook for Monitoring Wetland Condition (Clarkson et al. 2003). Predictions reveal the potential for approximately a 50% increase in wetland condition at both lakes by year 10 relative to before the recreation. Preliminary observations at both sites in February 2007show the restiads to have transplanted well, with significant new basal growth appearing. At Lake Serpentine east, after 6 months cane rush and wire rush height increased by 16 cm and 18 cm respectively while cane rush cover in the excavated plots had more than doubled from 10% to 22%. Little increase in cover for both cane rush and wire rush had occurred in the herbicide-treated plots. Overall, plant cover including colonising species was almost 100%. At Lake Komakorau, after 6 months cane rush and wire rush height increased by 16 cm and 19 cm respectively. Cane rush cover had nearly doubled from 15% to 28% and wire rush cover had increased nearly 6-fold from 5% to 28%. Overall plant cover including colonising species averaged 69% in all plots. i Protocols for assessing population changes and habitat preferences of the moth (Houdinia flexilissima) uniquely associated with the cane rush are included in the report, and monitoring will take place in Nov/Dec 2007. The pressures impacting on the restiad wetland recreation trial sites and associated buffer zone plantings are detailed and management recommendations provided. The key pressure identified at both lakes is urban development, which is likely to result in further alterations to catchment hydrology, as well as pest animal and weed incursions. ii Acknowledgements Project Development: Dr. Nick Edgar, Research Manager, NZ Landcare Trust Technical input: Dr. Bev Clarkson, Wetland Ecologist, Landcare Research Dr. Corinne Watts, Entomologist, Landcare Research Peer review: Dr. Keith Thompson, Wetland Ecologist Dr. Bev Clarkson, Wetland Ecologist, Landcare Research Advice and technical assistance: Nardene Berry, Waikato Coordinator, NZ Landcare Trust Rachel Kelleher, Area Manager Waikato Conservancy, Department of Conservation Shannon Fergie, Biodiversity Ranger, Department of Conservation Carla Innes, Department of Conservation Karen Denyer, Ecologist, Environment Waikato Tony Roxburgh, Asset Manager (Recreation), Waipa District Council Photo credits: Fred Lichtwark (Whaingaroa Harbour Care/ FarmSMART) Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research All other (unlabelled) photos: Monica Peters iii iv Contents 1 Introduction............................................................................................. 1 2 Action Plan .............................................................................................. 3 3 Monitoring and Management Plan .................................................................. 3 4 Restiad wetland and buffer zone development ................................................. 5 4.1 Restiad collection and transportation .........................................................5 4.2 Buffer zone development........................................................................6 5 The restiad moth “Fred the thread” .............................................................. 8 6 Restiad wetland flora monitoring methodology ................................................10 6.1 Overall monitoring objectives................................................................. 10 6.2 Key indicator components ..................................................................... 11 7 Restiad plot weeding protocol .....................................................................13 7.1 Lake Komakorau................................................................................. 13 7.2 Lake Serpentine east ........................................................................... 14 8 Restiad site fauna monitoring methodology.....................................................15 8.1 Presence/absence monitoring ................................................................ 15 9 Lake Komakorau ......................................................................................16 9.1 Location and general description............................................................. 16 9.2 Restiad wetland recreation trial.............................................................. 17 9.3 Restiad monitoring results..................................................................... 21 9.4 Pressures on the restiad wetland recreation site and buffer zone...................... 25 9.5 Overall management recommendations..................................................... 27 10 Lake Serpentine east ................................................................................28 10.1 Location and general description............................................................. 28 10.2 Restiad wetland recreation trial.............................................................. 29 10.3 Restiad monitoring results..................................................................... 32 10.4 Pressures on the restiad wetland recreation site and buffer zone...................... 36 10.5 Overall management recommendations..................................................... 38 References and further reading..........................................................................39 Appendices ...................................................................................................41 Appendix 1: Linkages between wetland condition indicators and plot level indicators........ 41 Appendix 2: Equipment for restiad wetland flora and fauna monitoring......................... 42 Appendix 3: Photopoint recording form ..............................................................
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