Wetlands of New Zealand
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{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
File:Lake Wairarapa Western Shore.JPG.]]
New Zealand has several notable wetlands but 90% of wetland areas have been lost following European settlement.
The Resource Management Act 1991, the major Act of Parliament determining land use, defines wetlands as "permanently or intermittently wet areas, shallow water, and land water margins that support a natural ecosystem of plants and animals that area adapted to wet conditions". The Ramsar Convention, an international conservation agreement for wetlands to which New Zealand signed up to in 1971, has a wider definition of wetland.{{cite book | last = Johnson | first = Peter |author2=Philippe Gereaux | title = Wetland types of New Zealand | publisher = Department of Conservation (New Zealand) | year = 2004 | url = http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/WetlandsBW.pdf | isbn = 0-478-22604-7}}
Since the mid-19th century, New Zealand has lost about 90% of its wetland areas due to draining for farming. Many remaining wetlands are also degraded due to pollution, grazing, drainage and presence of invasive plants. In the late 20th and early 21st century, efforts have been made towards wetland conservation.{{cite web |url=http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/ser1997/html/chapter7.3.html |title=Chapter 7: Key points |work=State of New Zealand's Environment 1997 |publisher=Ministry for the Environment |access-date=2010-05-28 |quote=Wetland areas have been reduced by about 85 percent in the last century and a half, from nearly 700,000 hectares to about 100,000 hectares.}}
Ramsar sites
The Department of Conservation currently administers seven Ramsar sites protected under the Ramsar Convention, covering an area of about {{convert|56,000|ha}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/role/international/ramsar-convention-on-wetlands/about-the-convention-on-wetlands/ |title=Who administers the convention?: About DOC's international wetlands role |publisher=Department of Conservation |year=2012 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-date=18 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018202156/http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/role/international/ramsar-convention-on-wetlands/about-the-convention-on-wetlands/ }}{{cite web |title=Site list |url=https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/sitelist.pdf |website=ramsar.org |publisher=Ramsar}}
Other wetlands
Other notable wetlands in New Zealand include Ahukawakawa Swamp, Aramoana, the Kepler Mire, Kai Iwi Lakes, the Mangarakau Wetland, the Sinclair Wetlands, and Te Henga, as well as areas around the lower reaches of the Waikato River.
The Rakatu Wetlands in the South Island are part of an ecological restoration project set up address the environmental effects of the construction of the Manapouri Power Station.
Travis Wetland is a restoration project covering {{convert|116|ha}} of land in urban Christchurch.
See also
References
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Further reading
- {{cite book|title=A Directory of Wetlands in New Zealand|editor=Cromarty, P. |editor2=Scott, D.A|publisher=Department of Conservation|location=Wellington|year=1995|isbn=0-478-01776-6|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/nzwetlands00.pdf}}
- {{Cite book| publisher = Manaaki Whenua Press| isbn=9780478093216| last = Johnson| first = Peter N |title = Wetland plants in New Zealand| location = Canterbury, N.Z. |date=1998}}
- {{Cite book| publisher = Dept. of Conservation| isbn = 978-0-478-22604-1| last = Johnson| first = Peter|author2=Gerbeaux, Philippe | title = Wetland types in New Zealand| location = Wellington, N.Z.| date = 2004|url = http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/WetlandsBW.pdf}}
- {{cite book | last = Hunt | first = Janet | title = Wetlands of New Zealand | publisher = Random House New Zealand | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-1-86941-904-2}}
- {{citation|last1=Tanner|first1=C.C.|last2=Sukias|first2=J.P.S.|last3=Yates|first3=C.R.|title=New Zealand Guidelines for Constructed Wetland Treatment of Tile Drainage|url=http://www.niwa.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/104478/NZCW-guide4press_small.pdf|series=NIWA Information Series No. 75|year=2010|publisher=NIWA|issn=1174-264X}}
- {{Cite book| publisher = Manaaki Whenua Press| isbn = 978-0-478-34706-7 | last = Peters| first = Monica|author2=B. R Clarkson | title = Wetland restoration : a handbook for New Zealand freshwater systems| location = Lincoln, N.Z| date = 2010 | url = http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/services/biocons/wetlands/}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/land-and-freshwater/wetlands/arawai-kakariki-wetland-restoration-programme/implementation-report/|title=Arawai Kakariki wetland restoration programme 2007-2010: Implementation report|date=December 2011|publisher=Department of Conservation}}
External links
- [http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/land-and-freshwater/wetlands/ Department of Conservation] – wetlands conservation page
- [http://www.wetlandtrust.org.nz/ The National Wetland Trust of New Zealand]
- [http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/Landscapes/Wetlands/en Wetlands] in Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
{{Protected areas of New Zealand}}
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