Ecological monitoring for potential effects of forestry activity on the intertidal habitats of Whangapoua Harbour. Long term review 1993-2006 Technical Report
- Author
- Halliday, J., Thrush, S., Hewitt, J.
- Year
- 2006
- Journal / Source
- NIWA
- Summary
- In 1992, NIWA was commissioned by Ernslaw One Ltd to assess the need for a monitoring programme to detect effects of forestry activity on intertidal areas of Whangapoua Harbour. A monitoring programme was subsequently developed for Whangapoua Harbour, focussing on the intertidal sediments of the harbour and their biological communities, and NIWA was commissioned to implement it. Due to the diffuse and widespread nature (in both space and time) of the forestry operations, it was not considered practical to implement a monitoring programme capable of establishing a cause and effect link between forestry activity and any potential changes occurring in the harbour. Rather, the programme was established by Ernslaw One to provide a sound scientific basis against which to assess whether changes occurred in the harbour. Then, if changes did occur, methods of determining the role of harvesting could be investigated. This report summarises the findings from harbour monitoring conducted between 1993 and the present and provides a review of the programme that meets requirements set out by the Environment Court.