TARANAKI AS ONE—Taranaki Tāngata Tū Tahi 144 New Final Draft # 1507200

Indigenous forest once made up much of the land cover in the region. Biodiversity on land Biodiversity on land, or terrestrial biodiversity, includes the plants, animals and ecosystems that are based on land. The arrival of humans radically changed New Zealand’s indigenous biodiversity. Introduced animals have preyed on or competed with native species, or degraded their habitat. Exotic plants also became widespread as settlement progressed. Natural ecosystems and indigenous species have also been affected by human activities such as land development and clearing of native vegetation. A number of Council programmes are helping to protect forest remnants and control pests to encourage indigenous terrestrial biodiversity in the region. We work alongside private landowners, providing practical initiatives to protect and enhance biodiversity on private land. To ensure we are protecting significant habitats in the region adequately, we also monitor the condition of prioritised ecosystems and biodiversity sites across the region. Our pest control operations focus on controlling introduced animals and plants that threaten prioritised biodiversity sites. As a result, the condition of significant biodiversity sites across the region is generally good or very good. ‘The arrival of humans Forty percent of Taranaki’s land area is currently in indigenous radically changed New forest and shrubland. Whilst the region’s native forest has Zealand’s indigenous greatly reduced since the arrival of humans, Taranaki compares well to the rest of New Zealand, which has about 24% native biodiversity.’ forest cover. It is estimated that since the arrival of humans, around 60% of Taranaki’s indigenous forest and shrubland has been cleared, particularly on the intensively farmed ring plain and coastal terraces. In these areas today, terrestrial ecosystems are fragmented and exist in pockets that are largely separated from each other. Many ecosystems are greatly reduced in area and the habitats of many threatened and at-risk species are now found only on private land. As part of our work, we monitor the amount of indigenous vegetation remaining in the region, and assess how much of that vegetation has formal protection. We also assess the condition of selected forest remnants. TARANAKI AS ONE—Taranaki Tāngata Tū Tahi 144 New final draft # 1507200 Indigenous vegetation Taranaki’s indigenous vegetation ranges from alpine herb fields to temperate rainforests. It also includes coastal turf and dune vegetation. Like most of New Zealand, Taranaki would once have been covered in thick and diverse forest and shrubland, with smaller areas of wetland vegetation and turf communities. Throughout New Zealand, much of the land cleared for development was in low-lying and coastal areas. Such is the case in Taranaki where approximately 60% of the pre-human native forest and shrubland has been cleared. The remnants of indigenous vegetation on the ring plain and marine terraces are but mere fragments of what they once were. Whilst small, these remnants are highly important for biodiversity. What’s the story? The largest concentrations of indigenous forest remaining in the region are confined to Egmont National Park, the steeper parts of north Taranaki and the eastern hill country. Between 2008 and 2012, Taranaki saw a net loss of around 3,700 hectares of indigenous forest and shrubland, despite around 430 hectares of new shrubland being regenerated. Most of the lost vegetation area was converted to grassland. By comparison, between 2001 and 2008, a total of 2,370 hectares of indigenous vegetation was lost in the region. Just over half of Taranaki’s land area has less than 20% of its original native vegetation remaining. The native habitats that remain in these areas are important and are considered acutely or chronically threatened. As most are on private land, they are targeted as a high priority for protection under Council’s biodiversity programme. It is estimated that prior to human settlement most of Taranaki was covered in native forest, shrubland and wetland vegetation (left.) Today, about 40% of the region’s land area is indigenous vegetation (right). 145 Biodiversity Approximately 52% of the region is classified as acutely or chronically threatened in that there is less than 20% of indigenous vegetation remaining in the area. The most threatened environments are located on the ring plain and coastal terraces, areas prioritised for protection in the Taranaki Biodiversity Forum Accord and the Council’s Biodiversity Strategy. TARANAKI AS ONE—Taranaki Tāngata Tū Tahi 146 New final draft # 1507200 Protecting habitats Approximately 21% of Taranaki’s total land area has some form of legal protection, including Department of Conservation (DOC) reserves, local purpose reserves and Queen Elizabeth the Second National Trust (QEII) covenants. This equates to approximately 50% of all native forests and shrublands being legally protected in Taranaki. ‘Loss of habitat and the effects Loss of habitat and the effects of pest plants and of invasive plants and animals animals are the greatest threats to the region’s are the greatest threats to the remaining indigenous biodiversity. Animals such as possums, feral goats and deer eat native vegetation region’s remaining and damage habitats that are important to other native species. biodiversity.’ Many introduced plant species have become or have the potential to become weeds. They threaten indigenous biodiversity when they compete with native plants for space and resources. Climbing species such as old man’s beard and climbing spindleberry can smother areas and prevent new native plants from growing. This can change native habitats and lead to further biodiversity losses. Of the region’s acutely and chronically threatened habitats about 17.5% is formally protected. In terms of Key Native Ecosystems across the region (the sites that the Council focuses much of its effort for protection and active management), 95% have some form of legal protection. Private landowners can choose to legally protect native vegetation and habitats within their land in a number of ways. A covenant issued by DOC is one option. Another is to have the area recognised under the QEII Trust. In addition to the protection afforded by regional and distict plans, 151,054 hectares are formally protected in the DOC estate, or under a under a QEII or DOC covenant. This is an increase since 2008 when 145,900 hectares of Taranaki’s land area was formally protected. QEII covenants have become increasingly popular with private landowners in Taranaki. The number of covenants in the region has increased from 249 covenants covering 3,647 hectares in 2008, to 344 covenants covering 9,723 hectares in 2013. This amounts to 7.8% of the total QEII protected land area in New Zealand (a total of 125,138 hectares), which is a relatively high percentage given Taranaki makes up only 2.7% of New Zealand’s total land area. In the 2013/2014 year, there were 31 new covenants registered in the Taranaki region—the largest number registered in any region in that year. Land protected by covenants in the Taranaki region. Forest condition Although clearing vegetation directly affects biodiversity, the condition of indigenous vegetation is mostly impacted by grazing stock and feral animals such as possums, goats, deer and pigs. We target these threats as part of our biodiversity management programmes. Initiatives such as the Self-help Possum Control Programme involving 4,374 properties covering 235,464 hectares keep possum numbers at low levels over at least 32% of the Taranaki region, including roughly 9,278 hectares of largely acutely threatened indigenous vegetation. 147 Biodiversity Over the past five years, the Council has also gathered baseline information about the ecological health of remnant forest ecosystems around the region by considering a number of factors. This includes the size and shape of the remnant, and its proximity to other remnants. We also assess the state of the indigenous vegetation, noting the presence and abundance of indigenous fauna, ‘Of the 64 forest remnants any evidence of pest plants and animals, and the condition assessed … more than half of any fencing. We also take into account any formal protection status. were found to be in ‘Good’ Each factor is each given a ‘condition’ score. The scores are or ‘Very good’ condition.’ then used to rate the overall state of the remnant, from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Poor’. Of the 64 forest remnants assessed between 2008 and 2014, more than half were found to be in ‘Good’ or ‘Very good’ condition. A very small percentage of forest remnants were considered to be in ‘Poor’ condition. The Rowan Road forest remnant KNE (above) has a biodiversity plan. Find out more Hitchmough, R.: Summary of changes to the conservation status of taxa in 2008–11 New Zealand Threat Classification System listing cycle. (DOC, 2013) tinyurl.com/TRC6r QEII National Trust covenants tinyurl.com/TRC6b TARANAKI AS ONE—Taranaki Tāngata Tū Tahi 148 other native plants. Besides the kiwi, the property has t ,ūī kūū kupa (kerer ), grey warblers, fantails, silvereyes, morepork, New Zealand falcon and harrier hawk (k hu).ā Since late 2008, the Whiteheads and their helpers have: laid more than 100 traps and bait stations Neil and Jackie Whitehead in one eliminated more than 1,150 predators, including possums, of the bush blocks on their property. stoats, weasels, rats, feral cats and hedgehogs targeted woolly nightshade and Darwin’s barberry, two Bush guardians pest plants in some of the bush areas undertaken riparian and bush-enhancement planting find many rewards formed tracks through two of the three larger bush blocks, Efforts by private landowners to protect and enhance including bridges and hundreds of steps to share the bush with their supporters native bush and wildlife are paying valuable dividends CASE STUDY started installing discreet interpretative signage at for biodiversity in Taranaki—but for Tikorangi dairy significant points in the bush farmers Neil and Jackie Whitehead, there’s even extended the area underQEII covenant (the first covenants more to the story.

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