Week 9

• Today the population has vastly changed and is mainly centred around the major city of Auckland
• How rapidly our productivity and focus on different resources can change
• Shift from agri production to industry of travel and tourism
• Variable trade exports around the globe, with dominances of products in one area compared to another
• Transitioned from sheep farming in the 1990s

  In the last 20 years, significant emphasis on dairying
• Expansion of dairying


  • From 2002-2012 dairy farming has increased by 28% particularly in regions such as Canterbury, Otago and southland area
  • Terraforming from kiwifruit and conversions of exotic forest to dairying
  • Going from poor to high land productivity and use
• Ecosystem


  Biological community and physical environment, biotic and abiotic components
• In the last few decades there has been a shift away from this to a focus on understanding the interactions between species and processes
• Biodiversity


  • Trophic levels, food chains and webs (sequence of exchanges of different energy)
  • If one of the organisms is removed, the different connections collapse
  • E.g in NZ freshwater habitats we are losing secondary consumers which impacts primary producers
• Pre-human eco-system engineers


  • In remote islands and NZ invertebrates were top consumers in the food webs, and seabirds e.g spotted shag. They are vital for the overall function of our indigenous ecosystems
• Emphasises the importance of understanding the interconnections of trophic levels and food-webs. This is relevant for indigenous approaches and understandings of how ecology is constantly changing and flexible approaches are necessary
• Wairewa case study


  • Portrays the implications from indigenous forest removal- eutrophication of Lake Forsyth
  • Impacts mahinga kai as eel harvesting could not occur, which created resentment and cultural implications
• Zealandia


  Supercontinent that New Zealand split from 85 million years ago
• Ecosystems of New Zealand

  • Arid (dry) grasslands (Canterbury)
  • Alpine Regions - Southern Alps
  • Temperate Forests
  • Subtropical zones
  • Wetlands
• New Zealand was heavily forested, since European settlement a large amount has been cleared for pastoral activity, and impacted by early Māori settlement
• Orographic effect, large amounts of rainfall in the West, compared to East
• Braided rivers and flooding have shaped vegetation that we have today
• Significant impacts from volcanic eruptions, e.g. Kaharoa
• Flora and Fauna of New Zealand

  • Wide range of indigenous plants and animals, 52,500 species, dominated by invertebrates and birds
  • Most of this diversity is found in non-forest environments, therefore focus should be placed on open ecosystems like wetlands, and alpine herb fields
• Introduced rats had a huge influence on the ecology of the environment
• Pukekos


  • Arrived 700-800 years ago, around the time of Maori arrival, thrived due to the transformation of vegetation creating more open habitat and opportunities to fill, successful compared to other organisms
• Kahu


  • Appeared with initial Māori settlement, they do well off prey such as rabbits, rodents, roadkill, well-adapted to disturbed areas and thriving in modern, open environments
• Falcon/spotted harrier


  • Declined mainly due to urbanisation (shocked by powerlines, shot by people)
• Kiwi


  • Around 50MYA, they are declining due to the introduction of invasive species, particularly stoats which eat chicks and eggs
• Events since European colonisation which have contributed to the state of the environment

  1. Mass burn offs of indigenous vegetation to the conversion of pastoral farming from 1840s

  2. Invasive species and exotic crops, early settlers brought possums, now there are over 30 million in NZ

  3. 19,000 introduced plants, 2000 are naturalised

  4. Today land use is largely for agriculture 39.8%

  5. Wetlands are highly productive environments and key for carbon storage, very few remain

  6. Drainage ditch digging was a major task for early migrant communities

  7. Bush blocks given to returning soldiers, relief schemes in the depression, planting of exotic forests in NI and Canterbury

  8. Intensive phosphate fertiliser use, having impacts on soils
• The NZ environment has been altered by human activity- mainly for food production and dairy farming. This is tied to specific moments in history, particularly after the arrival of European settlers. These consequences have ongoing implications today (legacy contamination)