Bruce Clarkson, Cilla Wehi & Lars Brabyn

Bruce Clarkson, Cilla Wehi & Lars Brabyn

Indigenous biodiversity, restoration and the perfect New Zealand City

Important note to usersImportant note to users

This power point is as presented at the New Zealand Ecological SThis power point is as presented at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference ociety Conference on 28 August 2006.on 28 August 2006.It is provided here, following numerous requests, for use and diIt is provided here, following numerous requests, for use and discussion on the scussion on the condition that it is copyright and not to be quoted or used in acondition that it is copyright and not to be quoted or used in any publication or report ny publication or report as the research is currently being prepared for publication.as the research is currently being prepared for publication.It is also important to recognize that the data has been analyzeIt is also important to recognize that the data has been analyzed using a range of d using a range of concepts of a concepts of a ““citycity”” and comparison between different components of data may not and comparison between different components of data may not be valid. For example, for the urban rural gradient curves we be valid. For example, for the urban rural gradient curves we used an algorithm to used an algorithm to define the built up area of the city firstdefine the built up area of the city first-- the matrix of buildings houses and streets the matrix of buildings houses and streets with no large discontinuities. Then we defined 5km, 10 km and 2with no large discontinuities. Then we defined 5km, 10 km and 20 km buffers. The 0 km buffers. The aim was to compare structurally/ ecologically equivalent parts oaim was to compare structurally/ ecologically equivalent parts of the city rather than f the city rather than just variable historical administrative units. This allowed us just variable historical administrative units. This allowed us to determine the to determine the persistence or penetration of ecological features into the builtpersistence or penetration of ecological features into the built up matrix. For other up matrix. For other statistics presented the administrative boundary is used. This statistics presented the administrative boundary is used. This will all be fully will all be fully explained in the forthcoming publication.explained in the forthcoming publication.If you have any comments or questions on the If you have any comments or questions on the powerpointpowerpoint ee--mail Bruce Clarkson mail Bruce Clarkson ((b.clarkson@waikato.ac.nzb.clarkson@waikato.ac.nz).).

The Listener view:“the results [so far] are middling to downright mediocre”

Our aims:

measure progress in bringing nature back into the 20 largest cities

consider perfect city from an ecologist’s perspective

Napier

New Plymouth

MethodMethodPostal questionnairePostal questionnaire

GIS analysis of LCDB2 GIS analysis of LCDB2 and LENZ (limitations)and LENZ (limitations)

Yardstick 2005Yardstick 2005

Watching brief of urban Watching brief of urban ecology in New Zealandecology in New Zealand

www.southalabama.edu

Method:Method:built up area and 5km, 10km and 20km buffersbuilt up area and 5km, 10km and 20km buffers

LCDB2 background

Indigenous cover has been Indigenous cover has been systematically removedsystematically removed

Palmerston North

New Plymouth

Dunedin

Area of green space to indigenous coverArea of green space to indigenous cover--connections between parks and gardens connections between parks and gardens

and biodiversityand biodiversity

8.5 New Plymouth

11.4New Plymouth

Max

1.967.3Mean

< 1%Invercargill, Napier &Palmerston North

3.5Dunedin

Min

% Indigenous Cover

% Urban parkland

UrbanUrban--rural gradientsrural gradients

40

30

20

10

0

40

30

20

10

0

Nelson (7)Nelson (7)

Hastings (7)Hastings (7)

0 5 10 15 20

0 5 10 15 20

UrbanUrban--rural gradientsrural gradients

0 5 10 15 20

40

30

20

10

0

Wellington (5)Wellington (5)

40

30

20

10

0 0 5 10 15 20

New Plymouth (1)New Plymouth (1)

New Zealand cities cover a wide range New Zealand cities cover a wide range of different land environmentsof different land environments

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Chris

tchu

rch

Dun

edin

Inve

rcar

gill

Has

tings

Nap

ier

Nel

son

Wan

ganu

i

Palm

erst

onN

th

Porir

ua

Low

er H

utt

Wel

lingt

on

New

Ply

mou

th

Rot

orua

Wes

t Au

ckla

nd

Ham

ilton

Wha

ngar

ei

Sout

hern

Auc

klan

d

Taur

anga

Nor

ther

n Au

ckla

nd

Cent

ral A

uckl

and

Diversity of habitats and Diversity of habitats and environments in citiesenvironments in cities

Habitats within cities include:

• Geothermal

•Fernland

•Tall tussock grassland

•Matagouri

•Subalpine shrubland

5

4

3

2

1

0

Chr

istc

hurc

h

New

Ply

mou

th

Rot

orua

Wan

ganu

i

Dun

edin

Ham

ilton

Low

er H

utt

Nel

son

Palm

erst

onN

orth

Sout

h Au

ckla

nd

Wha

ngar

ei

Cen

tral A

uckl

and

Has

tings

Inve

rcar

gill

Nap

ier

Porir

ua

Wel

lingt

on

Wes

t Auc

kaln

d

Nor

th A

ucka

lsnd

Taur

anga

Where is restoration effort Where is restoration effort currently focused (in 2006)?currently focused (in 2006)?

Napier estuary

New Brighton, Christchurch sand dunes

808,00036Max

293,5009.8Mean

00Min

Spending $

No. restoration

projects

Special opportunitiesSpecial opportunities

Potential for intensive Potential for intensive human interventionhuman intervention

Lack of grazing animals Lack of grazing animals

Propagation and growth of Propagation and growth of threatened speciesthreatened species

Interactive relationship of Interactive relationship of people and environment people and environment

10 mm

Paritutu ReserveNew Plymouth

*

Where are cities on the Where are cities on the restoration journey?restoration journey?

Table based on Table based on information from information from 20 largest cities20 largest cities

Progress since 2003 Big City Survey?

3Specific biodiversity staff

0Biodiversity monitoring network

4Biodiversity plan or strategy

7Policies to prevent further clearance

8Sufficient weed and pest control

10Inventory

/20CriteriaCriteria

Iconic species as indicators of Iconic species as indicators of success?success?

Are tui nesting in Are tui nesting in your city? 14/20your city? 14/20

Are cabbage trees Are cabbage trees regenerating in your regenerating in your city? 14/20city? 14/20

Tui Photo: Max McRae

Restoration, reconstruction and Restoration, reconstruction and retrofittingretrofitting

Have you got Have you got enough?enough?

Aim: 10% of city Aim: 10% of city built up area?built up area?

1365 ha Christchurch34 ha New PlymouthArea

9.5%+1.5% New Plymouth(%)

Max top up needed:Min top up needed:

Total size of existing and potential urban indigenous resource

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Forest Scrub Freshw ater Estuarine Other

Ecosystem type

Are

a (h

a)

Different solutions for different citiesDifferent solutions for different citiesRestore the gullies and link them to the river, Restore the gullies and link them to the river, the lakes and forest remnants (potential 810 the lakes and forest remnants (potential 810 ha of 9427 ha; 8.6%)ha of 9427 ha; 8.6%)

Restore 10 ha; Reconstruct 190 haRestore 10 ha; Reconstruct 190 ha

0 2 km

N

UrbanUrban--periurban interdependencies:periurban interdependencies:native fishnative fish

Banded kokopu

Spotlighting

Banded kokopu

Slide and research: Brendan Hicks

All sites fished

Slide and research: John Innes

Tui movements in the Waikato

Hamilton Hamilton

15+ bats in exotic 15+ bats in exotic treestrees

2 bats commute 2 bats commute into Hamilton into Hamilton

nightly nightly

20+ bats in remnant Kahikatea20+ bats in remnant Kahikatea

2 bats commute into Hamilton 2 bats commute into Hamilton nightly nightly

5++ bats in remnant 5++ bats in remnant KahikateaKahikatea

1 bat commutes into 1 bat commutes into Hamilton nightly Hamilton nightly

Slide and research: Andrea Dekrout

So what is the So what is the perfect city? perfect city?

Ecological Ecological ‘‘nodesnodes’’ and matrixand matrix

Green veiningGreen veining

Representative ecosystemsRepresentative ecosystems

Iconic species successfully Iconic species successfully breeding / regeneratingbreeding / regenerating

Ecosystem management Ecosystem management capabilitycapability

Relevant researchRelevant research

Nga mihi

The cities that responded to our many questions

Researchers who provided unpublished information

Funding from FRST Contract UOWX0501