NATURAL AREAS IN ECOLOGICAL DISTRICT

2008

Report No. 1914

Prepared for:

ENVIRONMENT P.O. BOX 364 WHAKATANE

WILDLANDWILDLAND CONSULTANTS CONSULTANTS LTD, LTD, 99 99 SALA SALA STR STREET,EET, P.O. P.O. BOX BOX 7137, 7137, TE TENGAE, NGAE, ROTORUA ROTORUA © 2008 Contract Report No. 1914 PhPh 07-343-9017, 07-343-9017, Fax Fax 07-343-9018, 07-343-9018, email email ecology@ [email protected],wildlands.co.nz, ww www.wildlands.co.nzw.wildlands.co.nz

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Tauranga Ecological District (85,915.6 ha) was surveyed to identify natural areas and assess the values associated with those areas.

A total of 168 sites have been identified, encompassing 3,240.2 ha, or 4.92%, of the terrestrial area. Several sites cover large areas of Tauranga harbour.

Existing protected natural areas in both terrestrial and marine environments total 1,147.0 ha, or 1.7% of the ecological district, including Department of Conservation reserves, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council reserves, QEII and Nga Whenua Rahui covenants. Another 23,136.7 ha of natural areas are unprotected, most of which are associated with Tauranga Harbour and smaller estuaries along the coast.

Apart from estuarine and harbour sites, remaining areas are small and isolated, 110 of 168 are less than 10 ha in size. Natural areas were divided into four categories, to reflect their relative quality and the values currently associated with them (53 Category 1 sites - 22,294 ha including Tauranga Harbour; 28 Category 2 sites - 777 ha; 42 Category 3 sites - 869 ha; 45 Category 4 sites - 331 ha. All sites can be regarded as significant under the Resource Management Act 1991.

© 2008 Contract Report No. 1914

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF TAURANGA ECOLOGICAL DISTRICT 2 2.1 Location and setting 2 2.2 Climate 2 2.3 Bioclimatic zones 2 2.4 Geography and physiography 5 2.4.1 Special geological features 5 2.5 Soils 5 2.6 Landform units 6 2.6.1 Coastal margin 6 2.6.2 Flat-shallow gradient land 8 2.6.3 Moderately steep land 8 2.6.4 Steep land 8 2.6.5 Other 9 2.7 Human history and land use 9 2.8 Ecological history 10 2.9 Flora 11 2.9.1 General 11 2.9.2 Threatened and local plants 11 2.9.3 Distribution limits 14 2.9.4 Diversity 14 2.10 Fauna 15 2.10.1 Avifauna 15 2.10.2 Herpetofauna 16 2.10.3 Mammalian species 17 2.10.4 Fish species 17 2.10.5 Invertebrate species 18 2.11 Threatening processes 19 2.12 Relation to adjoining districts 20

3. OUTLINE OF STUDY METHODS 20 3.1 Data sources 20 3.2 Geological and landform units 21 3.2.1 Islands 21 3.2.2 Coastal margin 21 3.2.3 Flat-shallow gradient land 22 3.2.4 Hill country 23 3.2.5 Steep land 23 3.2.6 Wetlands 23 3.2.7 Freshwater 23 3.3 Bioclimatic zones 24 3.4 Vegetation types 24 3.5 Land environments 24

© 2008 Contract Report No. 1914

3.6 Collection of field data 24 3.7 Site maps and boundaries 24 3.8 Evaluation 25 3.9 Digital data 25

4. WHAT NATURAL VEGETATION REMAINS? 25

5. WHAT VALUES ARE CURRENTLY PROTECTED? 30

6. WHAT VALUES NEED PROTECTION? 32 6.1 Strategic ecological linkages 34

7. NATURAL AREAS IN TAURANGA ECOLOGICAL DISTRICT 35

8. NATURAL AREAS (SITE MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS) 37 Category 1 sites 38 Category 2 sites 231 Category 3 sites 320 Category 4 sites 457

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 594

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES 594

APPENDICES

1. Checklist of indigenous vascular plants in Tauranga Ecological District 614 2. Checklist of adventive vascular plants in Tauranga Ecological District 624 3. Checklist of fauna species in Tauranga Ecological District 636 4. Wild sites in Tauranga Ecological District 641 5. Other 2008 field survey sites not identified as a natural area or listed under “wild areas” 646 6. Tauranga Ecological District natural area field survey form 647 7. Glo