Research Article

The northern striped gecko (Toropuku inexpectatus) is an arboreal gecko endemic to Aotearoa | New Zealand, formally described in 2020 and primarily known from one monitored population on the Coromandel Peninsula. Little is known about the northern striped geckos’ use of habitat, which impedes monitoring, and thus limits effective conservation management. We evaluated the geckos’ habitat use via Very High Frequency radio telemetry of 32 individual geckos for three months in the summer of 2024 and compared data to the available habitat.

Seed dispersal distances drive the rate of spread for invasive plants and are strongly influenced by dispersal mechanisms. We investigated weed seed dispersal mechanisms and dispersal potential in New Zealand. We collated data on dispersal mechanisms for 318 species that produce seed in New Zealand. We modelled maximum seed dispersal distances of 286 species for which data were available using dispersal mechanism, growth form, seed release height, and seed mass.

Fenced ecosanctuaries provide critical refuges for native species vulnerable to predation and have driven major biodiversity gains. Understanding whether they can also support sustainable populations beyond their boundaries is an important next step. While previous studies have documented native species dispersing beyond ecosanctuaries, few have utilised methods that explicitly quantify dispersal and the establishment of resident birds.

Long-term monitoring is pivotal to understanding population trends in threatened species and quantifying the impact of conservation interventions. Effective monitoring methods are generally underdeveloped or absent for taxa inhabiting the alpine zone. In Aotearoa | New Zealand (NZ), the alpine zone covers c. 11% of the land mass and supports a diverse fauna of at least 34 native lizard species.

Ephemeral wetlands are naturally uncommon ecosystems that have become threatened in Aotearoa | New Zealand and include many glacially derived kettle holes (kettles) of the South Island. These kettles can be easily overlooked as wetlands, particularly when in a dry phase, thereby increasing their vulnerability.

Genomics can provide conservation-relevant insights into population size, genetic diversity, and connectivity with relatively little sampling effort. However, for frogs and other small vertebrates, invasive genetic sampling (e.g. toe-clipping) can impact animals’ long-term survival and welfare. Minimally-invasive genetic sampling methods may be required to facilitate robust conservation genomic studies of small vertebrates. In Aotearoa | New Zealand, previous genetic studies of the three native Leiopelma spp.

Control of introduced mammalian predators is important for the protection of pekapeka | lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) populations, but toxins used to control these predators may also pose a risk to bats when they forage on invertebrates that have consumed toxic bait or if bats directly consume bait.

In Aotearoa | New Zealand, conversion of low-yield high hill-country pasture farms to mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) forests to support the harvesting of high quality monofloral mānuka honey can provide an economic benefit for rural landowners. However, the effects of such conversions on the local ecosystem and biodiversity are largely unknown.

Globally, rapid human-caused climate change is posing one of the greatest emerging pressures on species and ecosystems. Uncertainty remains about how species will react to changing climate, particularly how vulnerable or adaptable and resilient they will be to changes and whether they can move to remaining favourable habitats. Here we report on a rapid trait-based climate change vulnerability assessment for all bat taxa resident in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Āwheto, also known as the vegetable caterpillar, is a taonga (treasure) of Aotearoa | New Zealand, produced when endemic Ophiocordyceps fungi infect ghost moth (Hepialidae) larvae and produce fruiting bodies extending from the infected larvae to above the forest floor. Despite its cultural importance, āwheto ecology is not well documented or understood. Partnering with kaitiaki (guardians), we paired mātauranga (Māori knowledge)-informed soil DNA assays with systematic field surveys to resolve āwheto ecology in a montane native forest.