New Zealand Ecology Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is the largest ecological restoration project in New Zealand. The Mountain is surrounded by a 47-kilometer-long pest-proof fence, the longest in the world. This fence completely encircles 3400 hectares of forest, and the now extinct volcano. This forest includes an abundance of large and ancient trees. These trees were protected from logging by the establishment of the Maungatautari scenic reserve in 1929. However, the birdlife and the vegetation were damaged by the invasion of foreign species, including rats, pigs, goats, deer, weasels, cats and possums. By the 1980s there were no more kiwi on the mountain. This decimation of indigenous wildlife was seen across the country. To prevent mass extinction across New Zealand, a series of off shore islands became sanctuaries. The first was little barrier island in 1896, however this island was not predator free until the 1980’s. During the 1980’s several other islands became predator free with the use of hunting and 1080 poisoning. This included Auckland’s Tiritiri-Matangi Island. In the late 1990’s Wellington’s Zealandia was established, this had the first predator proof fence in the country. Following this, volunteers started to work to turn Maungatautari into the largest inland sanctuary in New Zealand. The first two small enclosures were fully fenced by the end of 2004. Then the rest of the Mountain was fully enclosed by the end of 2007. Pest eradication began with two large areal drops of the poison 1080. This was then followed by hunting and trapping. Now only mice remain, and they are very hard to eradicate. However, mice are not as much of a threat to the bird life as the other major pests, so the effort with mice is to keep the numbers low, rather than complete eradication. Since completing the fence, 76 kiwi, 39 Hihi, 65 Tieke, 40 Kokako, 30 Kaka and 2 Takahe have been introduced, along with 50 Tuatara and 100 Giant Weta’s. Bibliography: https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/96043600/sanctuary-mountain-maungatautari-welcomes-takahe http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1104/S00411/maungatautari-hihi-release-creates-a-world-first.htm https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/102581225/safe-haven-for-tuatara-at-sanctuary-mountain-maungatautari https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367690/first-kiwi-set-free-on-island-hopes-500-more-will-follow http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/6747733/Giant-weta-on-the-move https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/72410710/maungatautari-asks-for-kaka-sightings-to-be-reported https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/72504944/first-kokako-released-on-maungatautari-in-30-years Interesting websites http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/in-our-nature/7954984/Introduced-predators-by-the-numbers https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/predator-free-2050/ https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/predator-free-2050/why-predator-free-2050/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKE3ZClykXU https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/attract-birds-to-your-garden/make-a-pine-cone-bird- feeder/ https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/332000/four-out-of-five-nz-bird-species-in-trouble http://www.1080facts.co.nz/facts-and-figures.html Most Important websites https://www.nzgeo.com/predator-free/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJk7U0qA4jY The Evolution of New Zealand’s Birds New Zealand split from Gondwana 75 Million years ago. There were dinosaurs at that time, and the Tuatara. 66 Million years ago a massive asteroid hit the earth, clouding the earth in dust. This dust reduced the amount of light getting to the surface, killing billions of plants. This resulted 75% of plants and animal species on earth at the time, becoming extinct. (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160415-what- really-happened-when-the-dino-killer-asteroid-struck) All the large dinosaurs starved, died and eventually become extinct. Except for the small feathered dinosaurs. These flying feathered dinosaurs survived. They evolved into birds. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-7iXyYS0uw) As New Zealand moved further away from Australia and Antarctica, some of these birds flew to New Zealand. They stayed here, and slowly evolved and changed physically. Many lost the ability to fly. By the time rats and mice evolved, New Zealand was too far away from the rest of the world for them to swim here. With no predators, the birds needed no reason to fly, so many became flightless. The birds that lived in New Zealand evolved specific adaptations to suit their home. One bird grew a very long beak with nostrils at the end of it, so that it could smell for insects underneath the leaf litter on the floor of the forest. It grew strong legs for digging in the leaf litter, and with no need to fly, it lost the ability to fly. This was the kiwi. Kiwi - (https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1162-native-bird-adaptations) Kiwi - (https://www.kiwisforkiwi.org/about-kiwi/kiwi-facts-characteristics/) Kiwi - (https://www.wwf.org.nz/what_we_do/species/kiwi/) The birds on New Zealand were safe from any four-legged predators for 60 Million years, until the Maori arrived. Followed 600 years later by the Europeans. Humans brought with them rats and mice. They brought cats and possums pigs, goats and deer. Then they brought stoats, weasels and ferrets. These predators decimated the once safe bird life of New Zealand 1. The Birds The Birds that live in New Zealand are special. Kiwi(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmkUpu7_Aic&index=2&list=PL50KW6aT4UgxZRiqy6JQD9hF ygNhejHwy) Kiwi - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Ml36QHzVk) Kakapo - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3a88_SjJR0) Overview - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJk7U0qA4jY) Choose 3 of the Birds that you can find at Sanctuary Mountain Mangatautari. For each, provide the following information: 1. Describe their natural predator-free life 2. Describe their Habitat 3. Describe their Adaptations to their Habitat 4. Describe their Lifecycle 5. Discuss the Impact that predators have on this species Choose birds from the list below Kaka Karearea Tauhou Kereru Tui Pipiwharauroa Hihi Tieke Piwakawaka Kormako Brown Kiwi Ruru Kakariki Takahe Sacred Kingisher Pitoitoi Kakariki Australasian Harrier Popokotea Kokako Riroriro Miromiro Takahe 2. The Trees New Zealand’s Trees are ancient. Originating in Gondwana 75 Million years ago, our forests are unique. The trees and the birdlife have evolved together, so that specific birds feed of specific trees, like the Tui feeding off the Kowhai tree. Northern Rata - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPrL7owiOks) Choose 3 of the Trees that you can find at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. For each, provide the following information: 1. What does it look like 2. What is its life-cycle 3. What native bird life does it support and how 4. What threats are there to the survival of this species. Choose trees from the list below Rata Toropapa Raukawa Rimu Silver fern Horopito Tawa Hen and Chicken Fern Toropapa Mangeao Kamahi Tawheowheo Kamahi Tawheowheo Mingimingi Hinau Tawari Punga Miro Kamahi Rose wood Rewarewa Tawheowheo Poroporo Pukatea Totara Tawari Mamaku Tawari Filmy Fern Kiekie Kidney fern Toro 3. Not just birds Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is home to a wide range of animals that are endangered or at risk in New Zealand. This includes our Bats, frogs, geckos, weta and the ancient Tuatara (that is older than the dinosaurs) Weta - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtDIqicyDQw) Weta - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U1E4bp06vU) Bat - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MXaBDP6i-4) Bat - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2wjXRTd1vU) Gecko - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x89gPPytsE) Tuatara - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrfdHty3GIo) Choose 3 of the non-bird animals that you can find at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. For each, provide the following information: 1. Describe their natural predator free life 2. Describe their Habitat 3. Describe their Adaptations to their Habitat 4. Describe their Lifecycle 5. Discuss the impact that predators have on this species Choose animals from the list below: Giant Weta North Island long tailed bats Forest gecko Hochstetters Frog Auckland green gecko Kokopu Tuatara Pekapeka Copper skink Koura 4. The Predators All the pests in New Zealand’s forest have been brought here by people. Some by accident, such as rats, and others on purpose, such as the possum and the stoat. Possums eat the leaves on the trees, to the point where the trees are stripped and then die. The goats, deer and pigs eat the seedlings, preventing there from being new trees. These combine to kill the trees of the forest. The rats, possums, stoats, weasels, ferrets and cats then hunt down and kill the bird life. The combined effect is that many of New Zealand’s birds and now on the verge of extinction. Overview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE6NgSRHbNQ Ferret – https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new- zealand/2017/09/ferret-kills-half-of-kiwis-reintroduced-to- hunua-ranges.html Stoat - https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/moehau-kiwi-sanctuary/ Stoat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCx6UU1cI0I Stoat -http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato- times/news/3503733/Washout-lets-stoat-into-bush-to- slaughter-kiwi Possums - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=857OkIw0e0s Possums - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ3ypl-abjM Select 3 pests from the list below. For each, provide the following information: 1. How did they get here? 2. What damage do they do? 3. How do you get rid of them? 4. Possums Deer Rats Goats Mice Weasels Stoats Ferrets Cats Hedgehog Pigs 5. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari To save many of New Zealand’s endangered and at-risk birds from the pests, pest-free sanctuaries have been created by both the government and concerned people.