Appendix Five Glossary

Biodiversity

The variety of all New Zealand's indigenous biological life and ecosystems.

Biosecurity

Protection from unwanted organisms that pose significant risks to New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity.

Capability

The appropriation combination of competent people, knowledge, money, technology, physical assets, systems and structures necessary to deliver a specified level of performance in pursuit of the organisation's objectives, now and/or in the future.

Community

Used in its human and social rather than its biological meaning.

Comprehensive

The extent to which the full range of the diversity of natural or historic heritage is incorporated within the protected area network or selected for conservation management.

Conservation

All the processes of caring for natural and historic heritage, including providing for appreciation and recreational enjoyment and safeguarding the options of future generations.

Ecosystem

A biological system comprising a community of living organisms and its associated non-living environment, interacting as an ecological unit.

Exacerbator

Crown as exacerbator describes situations where activity on crown- owned land exacerbates problems that an adjoining owner may be experiencing. A common example is where a farmer controls possums but they keep coming over from the reserve next door.

Habitat

The place or type of area in which an organism naturally occurs.

Historic heritage

Any area or place that forms part of the historical and cultural heritage of New Zealand, including archaeological sites, historic buildings and structures, historic areas and landscapes, and sites of significance to Māori including wāhi tapu. It includes both tangible and intangible heritage values including Māori heritage values.

Indigenous

Occurring naturally in New Zealand, including self-introduced species but not human introduced ones.

Indigenous natural

Recognisable dominance of indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems, and recognisable integrity of geological and physiographical elements, features and systems.

Outcome

An end result of conservation action which is consistent with the role of the department, is consistent with the Government's Key Goals, and is a national priority.

Natural habitats

Containing predominantly spontaneous indigenous flora and fauna only to and ecosystems a small extent influenced by human impact.

Natural heritage

Includes indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems, and geological and physiographical elements, features and systems.

Natural heritage held or managed by the department

Areas and resources held or managed by the Department of Conservation under the Conservation Act and the Acts listed in the First

Schedule to that act.

Ngā Whenua Rahui
A contestable fund to assist Māori landowners to protect indigenous forests and other habitats and ecosystems.

Outstanding

The extent to which areas selected for legal protection conservation management are of exceptional interest, importance or significance from the point of view of the relevant community/ communities of interest. For natural heritage, criteria include the perspectives of science, conservation, natural beauty and recreation. For historic heritage, criteria include historical, physical and cultural significance.

Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi

Reference to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi includes the rider established in the Whales case (Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board v Director General of Conservation). The Court of Appeal ruled that section 4 to the Conservation Act applied to all the Acts in the First Schedule to the Conservation Act to the extent that the provisions of section 4 were not inconsistent with the Acts in the First Schedule.

Protected area network/protected areas

Terrestrial, freshwater and marine areas that are protected primarily for the purpose of the conservation of natural and /or historic heritage using a range of legal mechanisms that provide long-term security of tenure, status or land use purpose, either privately or publicly owned.

Representative

The extent to which areas selected for legal protection or conservation management represent or exemplify the diversity of natural or historic heritage (used in the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy as a prioritising criterion).

Restoration

The active intervention and management of degraded ecosystems, habitats, landforms and landscapes in order to restore indigenous natural character, ecological and physical processes, and their cultural and visual qualities (New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy); or for historic heritage, to return a place as nearly as possible to a known earlier state.

Species

A group of organisms which has evolved distinct common inheritable features and occupies a particular geographic range, and which is capable of interbreeding freely but usually not with members of other species.

Stakeholders

An inclusive term including allies, associates, customers, partners and staff.

Strategic direction

A particular targeted focus for conservation action to achieve a national priority outcome.

Sustainable management

In relation to areas and resources not held or managed by the department, management to sustain natural heritage and/or historic heritage values.

TaNgāta Whenua

Iwi, hapu and whanau with mana whenua or mana moana in a given rohe or locality.

Taonga

A very broad concept that includes tangible and intangible aspects of natural and historic resources of significance to Māori including wāhi tapu and intellectual property.

Unwanted organism

Any organism capable or potentially capable of causing unwanted harm, or posing significant risks, to New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity.

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