biodiversity conservation

Volunteers engaged in community-based environmental monitoring (CBEM; a form of citizen science) can track changes in species abundance and distribution, measure ecosystem health, and provide data for local, regional and national environmental decision-making. A total of 296 environmental restoration-focused community groups throughout New Zealand responded to an online questionnaire, the objective of which was to investigate the current state of CBEM and contextual factors shaping groups’ monitoring activities.

This study investigated the effects of different management inputs (fertiliser and seed) and grazing patterns on plant biodiversity in a short tussock grassland with a strong Hieracium pilosella component. Cover abundance of vascular and non-vascular plants and environmental variables were measured in 32 10×10-m plots located in five blocks with different management treatments. Ordination of the floristic data separated the block with the highest management inputs from other blocks.

By summarising ecological publications over the last 30 years, this paper provides an assessment of the amount and focus of New Zealand ecological research with respect to land tenure. While the number of published articles that deal with private land has increased over the last 30 years, the majority of New Zealand ecological research publications (65%) still focuses on public conservation lands, despite these only accounting for c. 30% of the land area.

[First paragraph] The importance of New Zealand’s offshore islands for the conservation of much of our unique biodiversity is well recognised and documented. But what of the more accessible inshore islands? Many of these have suffered considerable environmental degradation, and continue to be at risk from ongoing anthropogenic impacts. The ease of access to some inshore islands, however, offers an opportunity to generate a range of benefits for biodiversity conservation.