Drainage is a recognised cause of wetland loss worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. In the last 200 years drainage has reduced the natural extent of wetlands in New Zealand by c. 90%. Avoiding further loss is a national priority. Despite recent reform to restrict new drains within 100 m of existing wetlands in New Zealand, little is known about the extent and effect of existing drains in and near wetlands.
A valley mire was sampled on the flanks of Swampy Hill, east Otago, New Zealand. It formed in a narrow valley, apparently originally comprising two basins. The end of the mire nearest the outlet contained species typical of fens (i.e., rheotrophic mires). At the head of the valley there was a section of the mire with mixed vegetation cover comprising the tussock grass Chionochloa rubra, Sphagnum species, and cushion/herb/shrub cover.
A range of slack vegetation in southern New Zealand was described by detailed sampling of four dune slacks, contrasting in topographic situation and in vegetation. Comparison is made with a slack previously sampled on Stewart Island. The five slacks differed markedly in the plant communities present. One slack, where there was considerable peat accumulation, was dominated by the megaherb Phormium tenax and the restiad Leptocarpus similis.
