LECTURE 31-New Zealand’s Biodiversity Today

unfinished

what is biodiversity

“the variety of life”

 “the variability among living organisms from all sources, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes  diversity within species, between species, and ecosystem.”

how much of NZ was heavily forested before human settlement

85-90%

what percentage of NZ forests remain

23% (mostly hill country that was difficult for farming)

why was it easy to hunt species when humans first settled

species naivety: animals never previously encountered humans or the mammals they brought with them

what were the impacts of human settlement

extinctions, population reductions, loss of genetic diversity (especially on large-bodied and flightless birds).

definition of native

a species found in a certain ecosystem due to natural processes (e.g natural distribution and evolution. No human intervention)

definition of endemic

plants and animals that exist only in one geographic region (e.g species only found in NZ)

Definition of introduced

species that is not native to the place it was introduced to. Was accidentally or deliberately transported to the new location by human activity

how many native species are estimated in NZ

20,000

what percent of native birds are endemic

of the 168 bird species, 93 are endemic (55%)

what percentage of birds are threatened?

48% in conservation threat, 32% critically endangered

what percent of bats are endemic

both extant species are endemic (100%)

what percent of lizards are endemic

106 endemic lizard species, + 1 introduced species (99% endemic)

what percent of freshwater fish are endemic

80% endemic

what percent of insects are endemic

more than 80% of insects are endemic

what species in NZ have ancient ancestry

Leiopelma frogs, Peripatus (phylum onychophora), Tuatara and Weta

what land mammals existed in NZ before human settlement

only bats. no other land mammals

what is ant diversity like in NZ

poorly represented. little native ant diversity

are there snakes/iguanids in NZ

none established in NZ

what species in NZ are only found in fossil records

crocodiles and turtles over 15 million years ago. occasionally turtles visit in nZ waters

what’s the taxonomic information for tuatara (lepidosaurs)

order Rhyncocephalia, family sphenodontidae, species Sphenodon punctatus

• Lepidosaurs are endemic at order level

what’s the taxonomic information for velvet worms

phylum Onychophora. Outgroup of true arthropods

what endemic NZ lizards are there

Geckos: around 43 species in 7 genera in NZ

Skinks: 63 species in 1 genus (oligosoma)

• 1 exotic species (plague/rainbow skink)

what endemic NZ bird families are there

Apterygidae (kiwi)

• 5 species of kiwi alive in NZ
  

Strigopidae (NZ parrots)

• Kea

• Kaka

• Kakapo
  

Callaeidie (New zealand wattlebirds)

→ two extinct species + one extinct species

• Saddleback

• Kokako

• Huia (extinct)
  

Notiomystidae

• Hihi (stitchbird)

Acanthisittidae (new zealand wrens)

→ two extinct species + five extinct species

• Rifleman

• Rock wren

• Bush wren (extinct in 1972)

what are NZ’s two endemic terrestrial mammals

Long-tailed bat, and Lesser short-tailed bat

• 28 introduced species have established wild populations in NZ

how many dolphins are around around NZ’s coast

9 different species

• Hectors, maui, common, and bottlenose dolphins

what kinds of seals are found around NZ

• NZ sea lion

• NZ fur seal

• Leopard seal

• Southern elephant seal

what kinds of whales are found around NZ

Almost half of the world’s whales are found in NZ’s waters

• Blue whales

• Humpback whales

• Southern right whales

• Sperm whales

when did commercial whaling in NZ begin and end

 began in the late 18th century, and ended in 1965

what whale species did whaling focus on

19th century: southern right whale and sperm whale

20th century: humpback whale

what percentage of seabirds are threatened in NZ

90%

what percentage of reptiles are threatened in NZ

84%

what percentage of freshwater fish are threatened in NZ

76%

what percentage of terrestrial birds are threatened in NZ

74%

what acts cover species protection

• The Conservation Act 1987

• The marine mammals protection act 1978

• The wildlife act 1953

• The native plants protection act 1934

what is not protected under NZ’s protection acts

plants, invertebrates and fish, unless in parks/reserves

• acts to protect species are only based on location

what percentage of NZ’s waters are designated as marine protected areas

30.4%

what marine reserves are covered by the DOC

 44 marine reserves (9.8% of marine areas within 12 nautical miles)

only what percent of NZ’s waters are fully protected

only 0.6% of NZ’s coastal waters are fully protected as no-take marine reserves, where all extractive activities (e.g fishing) are prohibited