Oxford Forest Conservation Area

{{Short description|Protected area in New Zealand}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Oxford Forest Conservation Area

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| photo = Mt Oxford Track, Oxford Forest Conservation Area, Canterbury, New Zealand 01.jpg

| photo_alt = track through a forest

| photo_caption = Mt Oxford Track, Oxford Forest Conservation Area

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| location = Canterbury, New Zealand

| nearest_city =

| nearest_town = Oxford

| coords = {{coord|43|13|41|S|172|03|03|E|display=inline,title}}

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| area_km2 = 113.5

| designated =

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| operator = Department of Conservation

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}}

The Oxford Forest Conservation Area is a protected forest area of {{Convert|11350|ha|abbr=on}} located in foothills near the township of Oxford in North Canterbury, New Zealand. The area is also an accredited International Dark Sky Park.

The forest is a remnant of extensive beech and podocarp forests that previously covered inland parts of North Canterbury. Species present in the forest include mountain beech and examples of the podocarps rimu, mataī, kahikatea, and tōtara.{{Cite book |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/canterbury/waimakariri/foothills-forests-brochure.pdf |title=Foothills forests - Recreation in the Oxford, Glentui, Mt Thomas and Mt Grey/Maukatere forests |publisher=Department of Conservation |year=2008 |location=Christchurch |pages=4–11 |access-date=13 April 2024 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214091115/https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/canterbury/waimakariri/foothills-forests-brochure.pdf |url-status=live }} The forest is mainly black beech (Nothofagus solandri) at lower altitudes, with mountain beech (Nothofagus cliffortioides) above {{Convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}}. From around 1851 to 1909, logging took place in the Oxford Forest and the nearby Woodside Forest property. Several fires in the late 19th century destroyed much of the forest, and logging ceased in 1915. Some areas of beech forest regenerated following a major fire in 1898. Sheep were grazed in some places from 1914, but grazing reduced after the 1930s, allowing more land to revert to beech. By 1973, the area was being managed as a forest park, with increasing areas of regenerating beech and plantations of exotic species.{{cite Q|Q111160500}}

The Oxford Forest Conservation Area is classified as stewardship land, under section 25 of the Conservation Act 1987.{{Cite web |title=Oxford Forest Conservation Area |url=https://data.linz.govt.nz/mapviewer/?mv.basemap=Streets&mv.centre=172.08335927778955%2C-43.24341089199375&mv.content=layer.53564.color%3A003399.opacity%3A100&mv.panes=pane.0.id%3A69a62cd3-38a5-4774-a4b8-f969729649d7%3Bpane.0.centre%3A%5B172.08335927778955%2C-43.24341089199375%5D%3Bpane.0.zoom%3A11%3Bpane.0.pitch%3A0%3Bpane.0.bearing%3A0%3Bpane.0.resolution%3A38.75099765295642%3Bpane.0.extent%3A%7B%22minx%22%3A171.89733783660628%2C%22miny%22%3A-43.304663965532605%2C%22maxx%22%3A172.26938071897277%2C%22maxy%22%3A-43.18209616976592%7D%3B&mv.panesViewOption=map-pane-single&mv.zoom=11 |access-date=13 April 2024 |website=LINZ}} It includes walking and mountain biking tracks and is a recreational hunting area.{{Cite web |title=Oxford Forest Conservation Area |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/canterbury/places/oxford-forest-conservation-area/ |access-date=13 April 2024 |website=www.doc.govt.nz |language=en-nz |archive-date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609105850/https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/canterbury/places/oxford-forest-conservation-area/ |url-status=live }} The conservation area includes Mount Oxford, with a height of {{Convert|1364|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web |title=Mt Oxford |url=https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-43.22327,172.08584&z=14 |access-date=13 April 2024 |website=NZ Topo Map |archive-date=14 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414202727/https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-43.22327,172.08584&z=14 |url-status=live }}