1. New Zealand’s dryland biodiversity situation: How we got there and how we might go forward Presentation to the Canterbury Biodiversity Steering Group, Ashburton 31 July 2009. Grant Norbury Susan Walker Landcare Research

2. What are drylands? 19% New Zealand’s land area 53,000 km 2

3. Outline 1.Current state of biodiversity 2.Pressures 3.Science-driven restoration 4.Community-driven protection and restoration

4. 83% cleared (cf. 44% nationally) 3% protected (cf. 38% nationally) ~50% NZ’s threatened flora

5. Drylands: Contain some of the most transformed, least protected and most threatened native ecosystems and species in NZ Unstable, seral, rapidly changing, invaded

6. Protection and restoration are limited by: Poor knowledge, experience and science to support biodiversity managers Poor agency and community awareness of dryland biodiversity and its protection needs

7. Land Environments of NZ Waitaki, Hurunui, Selwyn, Mackenzie and Ashburton districts in top 11 of all territorial authorities for environmental and ecological diversity Canterbury therefore contributes disproportionately and significantly to the full range of habitats and ecosystems present in NZ

8. % Indigenous cover left + LENZ % Protected + = Threatened Environment Classification Canterbury

9. 1.00.40.60.800.2 The slippery slope Proportion of species remaining Proportion habitat area remaining

10. 1.00.40.60.800.2 800-1200 m < 400 m (8% remaining) 400-800 m (37% remaining) >1200 m Canterbury habitats - habitat loss to 2001/02 Proportion of species remaining Proportion habitat area remaining

11. Canterbury Proportion of NZ land area Proportion of NZ Threatened plants (2005) (Acutely and Chronically Threatened) Canterbury (47%) 103 species Nationally threatened plants in Canterbury

12. Ecological pressures Kiore(1150 yr bp) Burning(800 yr bp) Burning and livestock grazing(150 yr bp) Rabbits(150 yr bp) Ferrets, stoats, weasels, (cats)(130 yr bp) Exotic pastures and fertiliser(130 yr bp) Hares, hedgehogs, mice, rats, possums, goats, magpies Broom, briar, gorse Cropping, viticulture, horticulture, dairying, forestry Housing subdivisions

13. Pastoral farming changes Smaller upland blocks Intensive developments Rapid, ongoing habitat loss

14. Mackenzie Basin

15. Use of spray (and fire) to clear ‘scrub’

16. On pastoral leases: increasing number of discretionary consents granted to clear, spray, increase stock numbers etc Discretionary consents

17. Invading weeds

18. Pests : Feral grazers and predators

19. Palatable & fire sensitive species (and their fauna) long gone Muehlenbeckia astonii on Kaitorete Spit Cabbage tree, Canterbury Plains Olearia hectorii Matukituki Kowhai Little Valley, near Alexandra Hebe cupressoides Tekapo military camp Now relicts

20. Seral or secondary woody communities that are expanding Remaining natives are a spiny or toxic subset of formerly rich woody flora Esk terraces (Canterbury) Cloudy Range (Central Otago) Upper Clutha (Central Otago) Molesworth (Marlborough)

21. Dryands also contain a big suite of endemic herbs (many are threatened)

22. ...and a unique, highly endangered fauna What factors are driving species to extinction?

23. Large variation from upland to lowland Those indigenous habitats that are retained and protected are “non representative” Remaining lowlands are much reduced, highly modified and poorly protected High numbers of threatened plants, particularly in lowland and montane zones Woody vegetation in flux: some winners, some losers Current state of dryland biodiversity

24. Overview of research into sustaining and restoring dryland biodiversity

25. Research aims Build expertise to enhance natural woody successions Build knowledge of dryland ecological patterns and processes Work with agencies, communities and private landowners to improve understanding and protection Total of 8 years’ funding, 4 to go...

26. Biodiversity of dryland woody communities Community and agency awareness Succession to native woody communities Community mandate Technical know-how to achieve it Strand 2 Strand 3Strand 1 Program strategy Scientific mandate and vision

27. Impacts on some dryland fauna Pest–Pest interactions Aligned work on pests

28. Succession to native woody communities 1.What limits native woody succession? 2.What practical, broad scale solutions can be developed to overcome these? Strand 1

29. PLOT & POINT locations in drylands (n = 9935) POLYGONS in drylands (n = 1148) (some not digitised) Distributions Database 1.Gather known data on woody species distributions 2.Model distributions with respect to environment 3.Identify potential succession pathways 4.Identify best native woody species for trials at different sites

30. Marlborough/North Canterbury Stage IStage IIStage IIIStage IV Rosa rubiginosa* Coprosma propinquaCoprosma rotundifolia Melicytus alpinus Kunzea ericoidesClematis forsteri Discaria toumatou Coprosma rhamnoidesRipogonum scandens Kunzea ericoidesDiscaria toumatouCoprosma propinqua Ozothamnus leptophyllus Alectryon excelsus Olearia odorataMelicytus ramiflorusCarpodetus serratus Rubus schmidelioidesCoprosma rhamnoides Muehlenbeckia complexa Kunzea ericoides Rosa rubiginosa*Melicytus ramiflorus Carpodetus serratusPseudopanax crassifolius Myrsine australis Rosa rubiginosa* Ranked probability of occurrence of woody species Species-poor to species-rich communities

31. Traits Database HeightSeed size WidthSeed bank type Leaf longevitySpinosity Sexual reproduction system Toxicity Age till floweringPalatability to animals Pollination agentResprout after grazing/cutting Dispersal agentN-fixation Number of seeds/plant/crop Shade tolerance Years between cropsFire tolerance Seed massFrost tolerance 300 species (200 native, 100 exotic) 20 traits 1.Gather existing trait data for dryland woody species 2.Combine with Distribution Database to –Identify spatial pattern of traits syndromes –Identify whether (and if so what) traits predict successful secondary succession and where

32. Limitations to establishment Understand limitations to woody establishment Test low intensity management tools Work towards general model Dispersal Germination Growth Mortality Climate Soils Shrub cover Herbivore pressure Soil water Decomposition Sward density N avail BNPP, ANPP, Litter W avail, BNPP, ANPP, Litter Light In progress…..modified from Peters 2002 Ecol. Model. 152:5-32

33. How do soil characteristics interact with moisture to affect growth in woody seedlings? 7 soils semi-arid schist lime brown / loess volcanic pallic

34. Role of competition and herbivory in woody seedling establishment Bendigo, Central Otago +/- water +/- herbivory +/- competition (herbicide + hand weeding) 4 species

35. Conclusions so far… Herbivory always bad, but competition has net benefit in some places Water (at least last year) made little difference

36. How does grass sward density affect establishment of woody seedlings? A field & glasshouse experiment

37. Still to come… How does shelter and coarse woody debris affect establishment?

38. What are benefits and drawbacks of woody succession for native biodiversity in drylands? Demonstration of gains and losses associated with woody dominance Biodiversity of dryland woody communities Strand 2

39. WoodyIntermediateNon-woody

40. No. native plant species

41. No. native bird species

42. All lizards Lizards

43. Partnership with DOC Grand and Otago Skink Recovery Programme

44. Led by DOC (Canterbury) with range of co- funders Can native woody species establish in exotic woody stands in drylands? Do woody weeds facilitate native establishment in dryland environments? Factors affecting native woody establishment in exotic broom Ealing Springs

45. Treatments Solid broom (control) Roller crushed Sprayed Mulched Root raked

46. We want to be able to provide advice about a biodiverse future: What could develop through succession? What is a priority to protect and/or restore? What can we just leave to its own devices?

47. Pest interactions

50. Grazing & Burning Vegetation Native lizard Native invert Ferret Cat Stoat Superpredators Possum Rabbit Hare Herbivores Rat Mouse Mesopredators Hedgehog Insectivore Climate

51. Ferret Cat Grazing & Burning Shrubland Possum Native lizard Native invert Rabbit Hare Rat Mouse Hedgehog Superpredators HerbivoresMesopredatorsInsectivore Stoat

52. Habitat and pests interact

53. 19902003 5 km

54. Community-driven protection and restoration

55. Distribution of community restoration projects

56. Land areas (ha) covered by BCF projects

57. Social a.Historical inertia b.Poor understanding Biological a.Habitat loss and modification b.Invasive species Drivers of biodiversity decline

58. ProblemsSolutions Social Poor understandingEducate people Involve the community Help management agencies Biological Habitat loss and modificationPurchase land for the public Protection on private land Tenure review (?) Invasive speciesDoC Private ‘sanctuaries’/covenants Community groups Life-stylers

59. Councils have big challenges Dual development and conservation roles Optimum mix of regulation and voluntary approaches Socio-political context

60. A bottom line Need to cap indigenous vegetation loss Indigenous vegetation needs to be defined broadly Invest in an aware constituency Work with willing landowners Inform, advise, educate, incentivise, participate in activities Monitor and report losses as well as gains Build in-house biodiversity capability Needs (to sustain biodiversity)

61. We celebrate weeds!!

62. These are Central Otago’s kiwi !

64. Public education tours

67. Aldinga Conservation Area

70. Central Stories

72. Thankyou