Kawarau/Remarkables Conservation Area ecological values Brian Rance and Nixie Boddy October 2020 Cover: Schist tors and shrublands in lower Wye Creek. Photo: Carl Walrond, DOC Crown copyright 2020, New Zealand Department of Conservation In the interest of forest conservation, we support paperless electronic publishing. 2 Contents 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................5 2. Geography ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 2.1 Location and description ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Geology and landform ...........................................................................................................................................................................................8 3. Ecological diversity ............................................................................................................................................................................................................9 3.1 Vegetation......................................................................................................................................................................................................................9 3.2 Wetlands, regenerating forests and shrublands ................................................................................................................................ 11 3.3 Land Environments of New Zealand .........................................................................................................................................................13 4. Species .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................15 4.1 Plants ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................15 4.2 Birds ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 16 4.3 Mokomoko/lizards ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 4.4 Te aitanga pepeke/invertebratres ............................................................................................................................................................... 17 4.5 Freshwater species .................................................................................................................................................................................................18 5. Ecological changes ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................20 5.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................20 5.2 Condition .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................20 5.3 Ecological Management Units ..................................................................................................................................................................... 22 5.4 Threats........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 6. References .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Appendix 1 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 History of Land Tenure ‘Remarkable Conservation Area’ .......................................................................................................................... 25 Appendix 2 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Remarkables Conservation Area – mapped wetlands .................................................................................................................................... 27 Appendix 3 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Ecosystems found in the Remarkable Conservation Area .......................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix 4 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Land Environments of New Zealand .......................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix 5 ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................30 EMUs and SMUs ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................30 Appendix 6 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31 Remarkables Conservation Area – Nevis Galaxias distribution ..............................................................................................................31 Appendix 7 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Threatened plant records ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix 8 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Lizard species present .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 3 4 1. Introduction This report summarises the ecological and biodiversity values of the Remarkables Conservation Area made up of two large discontinuous land parcels that total just over 33,000 ha. The largest parcel lies immediately south of the Rastus Burn Recreation Reserve around Kawarau/The Remarkables. The second parcel lies further south around Tāpuae O’Uenuku/Hector Mountains) (Fig. 1). 5 Figure 1. The ‘Remarkables Conservation Area’ is made up of two main land parcels totalling over 33,000 ha. 6 2. Geography 2.1 Location and description Kawarau/The Remarkables are one of the most iconic mountain ranges in the southern South Island. Double Cone (2319 m) is the highest peak in Kawarau/The Remarkables and also within the Central Otago area. The ‘Remarkables Conservation Area’ includes Kawarau and extends to the south to include the northern portion of the Tāpuae O’Uenuku/Hector Mountains. The area is dominated by uplands and alpine areas and extends down to c. 550 m along the western side of The Remarkables and c. to 480 m at the Wye Creek bridge on SH6. To the east the area extends down to c. 680 m along Te Papapuni/Nevis River in the valley floor and to c. 400 m in Doolans Stream. The