Ecological reality maintaining indigenous biodiversity through the 21st century

1
Ecological reality maintaining indigenous
biodiversity through the 21st century

• William G. Lee
• Landcare Research
• Private Bag 1930
• Dunedin

Biodiversity in the real world BioSummit 21st
May 2004 Te Papa Wellington
2
What is biodiversity?

• Elements
• Populations
• Species
• Communities
• Ecosystems

• Features
• nested hierachy
• biotic/abiotic
• interdependence

3
New Zealand biodiversity Globally distinctive

• Carnivorous
• snails

4
New Zealand biodiversity Globally distinctive
Miniature and giant weevils
5
New Zealand biodiversity Globally distinctive
Rich, diverse, cryptic, live bearing lizards
6
New Zealand biodiversity Globally distinctive
Ancient lineage of wrens
7
New Zealand biodiversity Globally distinctive
Birds rule!
8
New Zealand biodiversity Highly vulnerable
Flightless Slow growth and reproductive
rates Missing functional groups
9
New Zealand biodiversity recent human settlement
Many canopy trees predate human arrival
10
New Zealand biodiversity Avian extinctions
Lost almost half of all terrestrial bird species
11
What are aiming for?

• New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy (2001)
• Goal Three Maintain and restore a full range
  of remaining natural habitats and ecosystems to a
  healthy functioning state, enhance critically
  scarce habitats.
• Maintain and restore viable populations of all
  indigenous species and subspecies across their
  natural range

12
NZBS operational goals

• Indigenous dominance
• Self-regenerating
• Potential occupancy
• Environmental representation
• Ecological integrity

13
Totara//kanuka forest Pisa Range

• Objective 1
• Indigenous dominance

Carmichaelia compacta regenerating in thyme,
Cromwell Gorge
Kanuka and Olearia lineata Luggate Creek
14
Objective 2 Self-regenerating
Olearia hectorii recruitment with exclosure AND
herbicide
15
Objective 3 Potential occupancy
16
Objective 4 Environmental representation
Land Environments New Zealand
Level I 20 II 100 III 200 IV 500
17
How much biodiversity is enough ?

• Protection targets
• no further species extinction
• 20 of all environments dominated
• by indigenous species
• 20 of specialised habitats
• dominated by indigenous species

18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
How are we doing?
Enveloping silence due to declining avian
populations
Takahe Valley, Murchison Mountains, Fiordland
National Park
21
Loss of native vegetation cover
How are we doing?
High degree of change and loss of native cover in
almost all lowland environments
LENZ (Leathwick et al. 2002)
22
How are we doing?
Most threatened plant species at lower elevations
e.g. Vascular plants
Number of threatened plants
Hebe cupressoides
Carmichaelia hollowayi
23
Is there a biodiversity crisis?
Indigenous dominance declining in many
non-forest communities Self-regenerating
declining due predation/herbivory Potential
occupancy declining due to extinction of local
populations Environmental representation
inadequate in lowland/dry environments
24
Percent protected by LENZ (Level I 20
environments)
Is DoC enough?30 of New Zealand in Public
Conservation LandsButlimited and poor
environmental representation
Percent protected
25
Central Otago
Area protected by Land Environment
Is DoC enough?

• Number of threatened vascular plants

But...
26

• Is DoC enough?Focus on threatened
• species, ecosystems
• and large areas of public land
• Unable to undertake intensive management
• Restoration not generally the goal
• Limited funding

27
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Increase
representativeness by focusing on
habitats/ecosystems poorly represented within the
existing protected area network Decrease
vulnerability by focusing on habitats/ecosystems
at significant risk of irreversible loss
28
Figures for Central Otago
Vulnerability is a function of (i) How much is
left (i.e. susceptibility to loss)
slippery slope (lt about 20)... each increment
of further loss will take a greater proportion of
the remaining biodiversity
29

• Vulnerability to
• biodiversity loss
• i.e. those environments
• greatest clearance to date
• most poorly protected now

• Change in vulnerability to biodiversity loss
• nationally, regionally, or locally
• from restoration / clearance activities

30
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Initiatives
by communities and private land owners will be
critical indigenous dominance in under
represented environments Need range of
protection mechanisms covenants, district plans
etc
31
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Responsibil
ity for biodiversity outcomes needs to be spread
- across sectors/communities/levels of
local/regional government Clear accountability of
management for achieving biodiversity goals
32
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Economic
incentives for achieving biodiversity outcomes on
private land rate relief, predator
control support etc
33
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Maintenance
and improvement of key national databases -
Land Cover Database - Land Environments New
Zealand - Biodiversity Protection Status -
Standardised monitoring
34
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Ecologicall
y aware management/policies e.g. limit mammalian
grazing biodiversity friendly weed policies
35
NZBS Priorities
Protection of indigenous biodiversity Foster
restoration of urban habitats - indicator of
sustainable cities - usually under represented
habitats - critical for decreasing vulnerability
36
NZBS Priorities

• Protection of
• indigenous biodiversity
• Every region/city with a
• biodiversity sanctuary
• - mammal-free exclosures
• - show us what is there and what is possible
• - major educational and biodiversity asset

37
Conclusion

• Globally significant biota
• Clear Biodiversity goals (NZBS)
• Major challenges for maintaining biodiversity
• Key role for private landowners in
  lowland/montane environments
• Significant restoration/sanctuary initiatives

38
Acknowledgements
Much of this talk is derived from collaborative
work with many colleagues over the past year. Dr
Susan Walker, Dr Matt McGlone, Dr Peter Johnson,
Dr Jake Overton, Dr Theo Stephens, and Dr Elaine
Wright, in particular, have made formative
contributions to the ideas presented.