Past and Current Indigenous Vegetation Cover and the Justification for the Protection of Terrestrial Biodiversity within the Manawatu-Wanganui Region: Technical Report to Support Policy Development
- Author
- Maseyk, F.
- Year
- 2007
- Publisher / Organisation
- Horizons Regional Council
- Pages
- 125 pp
- Summary
- Indigenous biodiversity has been greatly reduced throughout the Manawatu-Wanganui Region. This loss is reflected in the increasingly fragmented and degraded nature of the remaining bush remnants and wetland habitats, and absence of species once common. A large proportion of the continued threats to indigenous biodiversity is best addressed through non-regulatory methods (eg. pest control). However, there remains a requirement for a regulatory framework to fully protect indigenous biodiversity from further decline as the direct result of human activities. Amendments (2003) to the Resource Management Act 1991 have provided for an increased mandate for Regional Councils to establish policy allowing for the protection of terrestrial biodiversity, should the Territorial Local Authorities (TLAs) relinquish this role to Regional Councils. The seven TLAs within the Manawatu-Wanganui Region have agreed in principle that the Regional Council is best suited to being the lead agency for protection of terrestrial biodiversity on private land. The extent and spatial pattern of loss has been quantified to provide justification for the need for protection. ’Protection’ in this report refers to conservation management of biodiversity as well as regulation designed to safeguard remaining biodiversity. This report presents the justification for the need for protection of indigenous biodiversity, with the focus on habitat types rather than individual species per se. Habitat types were identified using predictive modelling, remote sensing techniques and national spatial datasets. Habitat types are classified according to current extent as a proportion of former extent to determine vulnerability for continued decline. Additional sites of biodiversity or ecological significance can continue to be incorporated into the justification framework by way of application of nationally accepted criteria for assessing ecological significance, and by soliciting expert opinion. Recommendations for appropriate levels of protection for terrestrial biodiversity at a regional scale are provided.