population distribution

The effect of honeydew density on arthropod community structure was investigated in the Nothofagus forest of Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand. Pitfall trapping revealed no community response to honeydew density, whereas sticky trapping showed the community composition of trunk-dwelling arthropods varied along a honeydew gradient. Mycetophilidae, Staphylinidae, Pteromalidae and Margarodidae were classified as high honeydew biased, while Diapriidae and Platygasteridae were non-honeydew biased.

Reliable information about population density and trends is essential for making valid inferences regarding conservation management. The suitability of point counts using distance sampling was examined as a means of monitoring a population of kaka (Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis), a large forest-dwelling parrot, inhabiting the Waipapa Ecological Area in the central North Island of New Zealand. Counts were conducted on 13 occasions between 2000 and 2007.