Natural areas of Tutamoe Ecological District (3. Ecological character)

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Peraxilla tetrapetala (Gradual Decline) Peraxilla tetrapetala is a mistletoe species which was recorded in this District in 1993 (Threatened Plants Database) as a lone plant, parasitic on an isolated towai tree within farmland between Waima and Waipoua Forests (part of O06/001). This plant has since died from this location and is now possibly extinct in Northland. reGIOnAlly SIGnIFIcAnt danhatchia australis A New Zealand endemic, Danhatchia australis is a monotypic leafless epiparasite orchid, often found in association with nikau or taraire (St George1999). In this Ecological District it was last recorded in 1955 (AK 185189) from the banks of the Waipoua River (part of O06/001). 3.4. FAUNA Information on indigenous fauna in this report has been compiled from the following sources: • Sites of Special Biological Interest (SSBI) files held at the Northland Conservancy Office, Department of Conservation. • The Bioweb Herptofauna database (DOC, 2006). • The NZ Freshwater Fish Database (NIWA, 2006). • Incidental field observations during the course of this survey. • Dr Fred Brook provided the text for Land snail descriptions. The individual site descriptions detail known significant fauna only. A feature of this Ecological District is the diversity of invertebrates found and this is directly related the size and diversity of forest habitat. Many of them are currently ranked as Data Deficient due to the paucity of information known about their distribution and abundance. However it is recognised that the invertebrate fauna, both common and less common including snails, arachnids and insects, are a significant facet of indigenous ecosystems. Indeed it is estimated that invertebrates outnumber vertebrates by 230 times and that there are around 40 times as many invertebrates as endemic vascular plants in New Zealand (McGuiness 2001). With the present state of knowledge of these species, the protection of the whole range of habitat types is considered important to ensure populations of invertebrates are maintained. Most of the common bird species of Northland, both indigenous and introduced, are to be found in the Ecological District. A checklist of fauna recorded in included in Appendix 5. The Tutamoe Ecological District formerly supported large populations of NI brown kiwi, NI kokako, NI kaka and black petrel. The NI brown kiwi population is still the largest in Northland while NI kokako and NI kaka had all but disappeared by the 1990s. The Waipoua/Mataraua Plateau now supports the only viable population of NI kokako in Northland, with 17 44 Natural areas of Tutamoe Ecological District
pairs recorded in 2005 (4 pairs and 1 single recorded in Waima Forest) (T. Donovan pers. comm.). NI kaka are now only seen occasionally, more than likely as visitors from the Hauraki Gulf (R. J. Pierce pers. comm.). Colonies of black petrel formerly occurred on the Tutamoe Range, however by the 20th century they had completely disappeared. The conservation status of individual species and scientific names for invertebrates is derived from Hitchmough, Bull and Cromarty 2007 (See Appendix 3). Species classifed as Regionally Significant are determined by the Department of Conservation, Northland Conservancy. Nomenclature follows Turbott (1990) and Heather and Robertson (2000) for birds, and Gill and Whitaker (1996) for reptiles. 3.4.1 Threatened bird species Acutely threAtened Australasian bittern (matuku) Botaurus poiciloptilus (Nationally Endangered) Indigenous Australasian bittern are a swamp dwelling bird recorded in this District from Muriwai Stream Swamp, O06/026 (SSBI O06H017), Waipoua Coastal Strip and Taha Moana Scenic Reserve, O06/027 (SSBI O06/H014) and a 2004 record from Trounson Kauri Park Scenic Reserve O07/005 (SSBI O07/H002). Pateke (brown teal) Anas chlorotis (Nationally Endangered) Endemic Pateke were once widespread in swampy streams and tidal estuaries throughout New Zealand. In 2006 the strongholds are eastern Northland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula. Pateke were released into wetlands on the eastern and western sides of Trounson Kauri Park Scenic Reserve (O07/005) in 1997 but are no longer present. Grey duck Anas superciliosa (Nationally Endangered) Indigenous Recorded within Te Riu Lagoon O06/025 in this Ecological District (1978 record SSBI O06/H016), grey ducks are threatened due to loss of habitat, hunting, predation, competition and hybridisation with the mallard (Heather and Robertson 2000). NI kaka nestor meridionalis septentrionalis (Nationally Endangered) Endemic Kaka were recorded in the Marlborough Forest, P06/042 (SSBI P06/040) in 1983, Kaihu Forest, P07/001 (SSBI P07/H001) in 1999 and birds are regularly heard from Mataraua Forest (pt of O06/001) (SSBI O06/H013) including 2004 records) and the Mataraua plateau. One to two birds were seen at Trounson Kauri Park Scenic Reserve, O07/005 (SSBI O07/ H002) in 2004 and 2005. These birds are probably vagrants with resident populations of kaka now largely restricted to islands in the Hauraki Gulf PNAP reconnasance survey report 45
Page 1 and 2: 3. Ecological character 3.1 TOPOGRA
Page 3 and 4: Maori and in particular European se
Page 5 and 6: sphacelata. Where the adjoining lan
Page 7 and 8: • Astelia solandri-Chionochloa br
Page 9 and 10: Podocarp forest Kahikatea forest Ka
Page 11 and 12: Acutely threAtened Fungus (Undescri
Page 13 and 14: faces and rocky outcrops and is onl
Page 15 and 16: aukaua edgerleyi raukawa (Gradual D
Page 17 and 18: hymenophyllum atrovirens (Sparse) E
Page 19 and 20: Pimelea (f) Pimelea (f) is an endem
Page 21 and 22: coprosma dodonaeifolia Coprosma dod
Page 23 and 24: Griselinia littoralis Griselinia li
Page 25 and 26: loxsoma cunninghamii Loxsoma cunnin
Page 27 and 28: H015 and Waima Forests (SSBI O06/H0
Page 29: urtica ferox ongaonga 9 Ongaonga is
Page 33 and 34: has increased numbers with ‘overf
Page 35 and 36: Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis (S
Page 37 and 38: loss and competition with the intro
Page 39 and 40: earthworm dAtA deFIcIent Earthworm
Page 41 and 42: O07/005. It has a distinctive colou
Page 43 and 44: (NIWA 2006), O06/015 (SSBI O06/H014

Natural areas of Tutamoe Ecological District (3. Ecological character)

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