New Zealand is a country renowned for its beautiful scenery and diverse wildlife. This section examines what kind of efforts the country goes through to protect them as well as the difficulties that they are faced with/
New Zealand is home to a wide range of animal species, a great deal of which are endemic to it’s islands. However, New Zealand has lost much of it’s endemic populations. The protection of it’s species from extinction is now considered one of New Zealand’s greatest environmental problems. Compared to the United States which sports around 1,250 threatened species, New Zealand has over 2,000 threatened species (Department of Conservation, 2002). For this reason, the nation has the worst rated biodiversity performance when compared to 141 other countries (DoC and Ministry for Environment, 2000). However, unlike many other countries whose species are threatened largely in part to human’s degradation of habitat or hunting, this is not the case in New Zealand.
The largest reason for the loss of New Zealand’s biodiversity is the introduction of new predators such as rats, ferrets, and dogs from outside the island which outcompeted and fed on the native population. The Maori settlers were the first to bring predators to the island, namely rodents, as well as the first to begin hunting the larger animals of New Zealand which consisted mainly of it’s birds. Following the Maori, the European settlers began the hunting of the animals and cut down a good deal of their natural habitat for farmland. Although this hunting and slight deforestation had an effect on the wildlife, its role was negligible when compared to that of the new predators. The introduction of predators had a particularly devastating effect on New Zealand, as it’s species had developed in isolation for a long period of time with the only native mammals being bats and sea mammals. New Zealand’s birds, many of which were flightless, evolved to rule the land and were hit the hardest by the sudden arrival of predators. In addition to the new predators, introduced species such as the European wasp deplete the honeydew supply which is a vital food supply for many birds. In all, about 60% of New Zealand’s land dwelling birds have been lost and 40% of all remaining birds are threatened species (Clout, 2001). Even the country’s national bird, the kiwi, is on the list of threatened species. This species in particular is threatened not only by rodents such as rats and weasels but also by simple domestic dogs. Kiwis attract all dogs with their scent and are so frail they can be killed by a simple play bite.
Despite having such a large ecological problem on their hands, New Zealand has by no means been negligent in their conservation efforts and are strongly aware of their ecological and environmental issues. The Maori tradition of kaitiakitanga which developed after their arrival believed in the balance between society and the environment as well as sustainable resourcing. This belief is reflected largely in the mindset of New Zealanders as well as their legislation, most likely playing a part in the early conservation attempts. In 1887, New Zealand established the fourth (at the time) national park in the world which was named the Tongariro national park (Saunders & Norton 2001). Following this, New Zealand continued with its conservation efforts and established an incredible amount of national parks and reserves. Initially, these reserves and parks were chosen based on looks rather than their ecology, but by the 1970’s an increasing amount of legislation was passing to formally reserve and protect many areas based on their ecological status. As a result, more than 30 percent of the land in New Zealand is legally protected by the government (Saunders & Norton 2001).
However, reserving land in this way still does not fix the issue of the introduced predators. To counter this issue, New Zealand takes advantage of the many smaller off coast islands surrounding its two main islands. Many of these islands do not have the non native pests that the main islands are riddled with, making them an ideal place for the protection and recovery of endangered species. They experienced great success with this model except for one instance where weasels swam to an island and multiplied. These islands can not provide a suitable habitat for any given species however, and so special care has to be taken in the choosing of which species to relocate to which island. Small offshore islands such as these were also the start of New Zealand’s grand effort to eradicate all invasive species, which is the only real long-term viable method to restore the ecology.
In total, rodents have now been removed from over 25 islands (Clout, 2001). Thirty years ago, removal of alien species such as rats from islands even one hectare in size was thought to be an impossible feat, but now rodents have been eliminated from islands 2,000 hectare in size (Clout, 2001). Following this success, New Zealand has begun to tackle the restoration of the main South and North islands using the previous smaller island undertakings as a model. The Department of Conservation has set up what are called ‘mainland islands’ which are fenced areas that are subjected to intensive pest control. Although there are only 5 of such ‘islands’ set up as of now, more are planned due to their effectiveness. Projects such as these have signaled a shift from New Zealand’s previous aim of single species restoration to restoration of the ecosystem as a whole. Also noticeable after the success of these ‘islands’ is the creation of many local community groups and regional councils who are undertaking projects in a very similar vein (Clout, 2001). This may be due in part to the ‘mainland islands’ availability to the public as a site in which they can discover the endangered wildlife of New Zealand whereas the offshore islands were much less accessible. Drawbacks to the restoration of ecosystems through these ‘mainland islands’ are the incredibly high annual costs they incur compared to the amount of land they manage from the constant maintenance of pests. In 1998, the Department of Conservation spent 1.8 million NZD (1.3 million USD) on its ‘mainlands islands’ (Saunders & Norton, 2001).
New Zealanders are strongly supportive of their environment and this is reflected by the legislation they pass as well as their community involvement in continuous efforts to restore their ecosystem. The citizens are always close to the land and for this reason they are also very environmentally minded. It is interesting that a country whose main attraction is its stunning scenery and wildlife is plagued from such deep rooted problems which undermine its environment.
Bibliography
Clout, Mick. "Where Protection is Not Enough: Active Conservation in New Zealand." Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 16.8 (2001): 415-416.
Wilson, P.R, B.J Karl, R.J Toft, J.R Beggs, and R.H Taylor. "The Role of Introduced Predators and Competitors in the Decline of Kaka ( Nestor Meridionalis) Populations in New Zealand." Biological Conservation, 83.2 (1998): 175-185.
Saunders, A, and D.A Norton. "Ecological Restoration at Mainland Islands in New Zealand." Biological Conservation, 99.1 (2001): 109-119.
Basse, Britta, Ian Flux, and John Innes. "Recovery and Maintenance of North Island Kokako ( Callaeas Cinerea Wilsoni) Populations Through Pulsed Pest Control." Biological Conservation, 109.2 (2003): 259-270.
Cullen, Ross, Emma Moran, and Kenneth F.D Hughey. "Measuring the Success and Cost Effectiveness of New Zealand Multiple-species Projects to the Conservation of Threatened Species." Ecological Economics, 53.3 (2005): 311-323.
The largest reason for the loss of New Zealand’s biodiversity is the introduction of new predators such as rats, ferrets, and dogs from outside the island which outcompeted and fed on the native population. The Maori settlers were the first to bring predators to the island, namely rodents, as well as the first to begin hunting the larger animals of New Zealand which consisted mainly of it’s birds. Following the Maori, the European settlers began the hunting of the animals and cut down a good deal of their natural habitat for farmland. Although this hunting and slight deforestation had an effect on the wildlife, its role was negligible when compared to that of the new predators. The introduction of predators had a particularly devastating effect on New Zealand, as it’s species had developed in isolation for a long period of time with the only native mammals being bats and sea mammals. New Zealand’s birds, many of which were flightless, evolved to rule the land and were hit the hardest by the sudden arrival of predators. In addition to the new predators, introduced species such as the European wasp deplete the honeydew supply which is a vital food supply for many birds. In all, about 60% of New Zealand’s land dwelling birds have been lost and 40% of all remaining birds are threatened species (Clout, 2001). Even the country’s national bird, the kiwi, is on the list of threatened species. This species in particular is threatened not only by rodents such as rats and weasels but also by simple domestic dogs. Kiwis attract all dogs with their scent and are so frail they can be killed by a simple play bite.
Despite having such a large ecological problem on their hands, New Zealand has by no means been negligent in their conservation efforts and are strongly aware of their ecological and environmental issues. The Maori tradition of kaitiakitanga which developed after their arrival believed in the balance between society and the environment as well as sustainable resourcing. This belief is reflected largely in the mindset of New Zealanders as well as their legislation, most likely playing a part in the early conservation attempts. In 1887, New Zealand established the fourth (at the time) national park in the world which was named the Tongariro national park (Saunders & Norton 2001). Following this, New Zealand continued with its conservation efforts and established an incredible amount of national parks and reserves. Initially, these reserves and parks were chosen based on looks rather than their ecology, but by the 1970’s an increasing amount of legislation was passing to formally reserve and protect many areas based on their ecological status. As a result, more than 30 percent of the land in New Zealand is legally protected by the government (Saunders & Norton 2001).
However, reserving land in this way still does not fix the issue of the introduced predators. To counter this issue, New Zealand takes advantage of the many smaller off coast islands surrounding its two main islands. Many of these islands do not have the non native pests that the main islands are riddled with, making them an ideal place for the protection and recovery of endangered species. They experienced great success with this model except for one instance where weasels swam to an island and multiplied. These islands can not provide a suitable habitat for any given species however, and so special care has to be taken in the choosing of which species to relocate to which island. Small offshore islands such as these were also the start of New Zealand’s grand effort to eradicate all invasive species, which is the only real long-term viable method to restore the ecology.
In total, rodents have now been removed from over 25 islands (Clout, 2001). Thirty years ago, removal of alien species such as rats from islands even one hectare in size was thought to be an impossible feat, but now rodents have been eliminated from islands 2,000 hectare in size (Clout, 2001). Following this success, New Zealand has begun to tackle the restoration of the main South and North islands using the previous smaller island undertakings as a model. The Department of Conservation has set up what are called ‘mainland islands’ which are fenced areas that are subjected to intensive pest control. Although there are only 5 of such ‘islands’ set up as of now, more are planned due to their effectiveness. Projects such as these have signaled a shift from New Zealand’s previous aim of single species restoration to restoration of the ecosystem as a whole. Also noticeable after the success of these ‘islands’ is the creation of many local community groups and regional councils who are undertaking projects in a very similar vein (Clout, 2001). This may be due in part to the ‘mainland islands’ availability to the public as a site in which they can discover the endangered wildlife of New Zealand whereas the offshore islands were much less accessible. Drawbacks to the restoration of ecosystems through these ‘mainland islands’ are the incredibly high annual costs they incur compared to the amount of land they manage from the constant maintenance of pests. In 1998, the Department of Conservation spent 1.8 million NZD (1.3 million USD) on its ‘mainlands islands’ (Saunders & Norton, 2001).
New Zealanders are strongly supportive of their environment and this is reflected by the legislation they pass as well as their community involvement in continuous efforts to restore their ecosystem. The citizens are always close to the land and for this reason they are also very environmentally minded. It is interesting that a country whose main attraction is its stunning scenery and wildlife is plagued from such deep rooted problems which undermine its environment.
Bibliography
Clout, Mick. "Where Protection is Not Enough: Active Conservation in New Zealand." Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 16.8 (2001): 415-416.
Wilson, P.R, B.J Karl, R.J Toft, J.R Beggs, and R.H Taylor. "The Role of Introduced Predators and Competitors in the Decline of Kaka ( Nestor Meridionalis) Populations in New Zealand." Biological Conservation, 83.2 (1998): 175-185.
Saunders, A, and D.A Norton. "Ecological Restoration at Mainland Islands in New Zealand." Biological Conservation, 99.1 (2001): 109-119.
Basse, Britta, Ian Flux, and John Innes. "Recovery and Maintenance of North Island Kokako ( Callaeas Cinerea Wilsoni) Populations Through Pulsed Pest Control." Biological Conservation, 109.2 (2003): 259-270.
Cullen, Ross, Emma Moran, and Kenneth F.D Hughey. "Measuring the Success and Cost Effectiveness of New Zealand Multiple-species Projects to the Conservation of Threatened Species." Ecological Economics, 53.3 (2005): 311-323.