Review Article

Gumlands are a critically endangered ecosystem, restricted to Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) in Aotearoa | New Zealand. Gumlands usually form in areas once dominated by kauri, where slow decomposition produces poorly drained, infertile soils with a siliceous hardpan. These harsh edaphic conditions result in heathlands dominated by mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium agg.), tangle fern (Gleichenia dicarpa), and sedges (Machaerina teretifolia and M. brevifolia).

There have been numerous declines and extinctions of native fauna in Aotearoa New Zealand since human settlement. Against this background of loss there have been remarkable advances in conservation management, including the use of conservation translocations to reduce extinction risk and restore depauperate ecosystems. Here we review conservation translocations in Aotearoa New Zealand.