Natural areas of Te Paki Ecological District
Published:
May 2009
Cape Reinga on the cover of the publication
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Foreword
Te Paki is a place of great cultural, spiritual, and natural significance for all New Zealanders.
Te Ara Wairua (spiritual pathway) winds its way up both east and west coasts to join at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga). The solitary pohutukawa is the departure point for the spirits of the dead before the travel back to Hawaiki-Nui. This makes Te Rerenga Wairua one of the most significant sites for Māori.
The Te Paki Ecological District contains numerous archaeological sites with evidence from the earliest periods of human occupation in New Zealand.
The geological history of Te Paki, particularly the long periods of separation from the rest of the North Island, has resulted in the development of a high degree of endemism found nowhere else on the New Zealand mainland.
Just over 87% of the natural areas identified within this report are formally protected. This equates to around 65.5% of the total extent of the Ecological District. Unlike most ecological districts where the direct impacts of humans can be seen, with numerous dwellings, pasture and plantation forests, Te Paki Ecological District comprises relatively continuous indigenous habitat over two-thirds of its area.
Being the ‘end of the land’ always has its own attraction, but as well as this geographical position Te Paki contains scenic and wilderness qualities seldom found in the North Island.
The North Cape area is a magnet for botanists, zoologists and geologists. On the serpentine soils of the Surville Cliffs a range of plant species exhibit dwarfism and other variations in form not seen elsewhere. Within this single site there are at least 17 endemic plant taxa.
In the animal world the Te Paki Ecological District in particular stands out with an incredibly high level of snail endemism with more than 30 species recorded.
Over the years many scientists, conservation specialists and enthusiasts have been drawn to Te Paki to study its special natural features. This document is an attempt to bring together in one place some of the information which has been produced. Inevitably, much of interest still resides in the heads and notes of some eminent people, and we hope that maybe this volume will spur those people on to publish their work.
Chris Jenkins
Conservator Northland
Abstract
Te Paki Ecological District covers approximately 30,917 ha and is located at the northern extremity of the North Island, adjoining Aupouri Ecological District to the south. It is characterised by extensive areas of indigenous shrublands and gumlands linking long sandy beaches, dunes, freshwater wetlands and forest remnants.
Forty-five natural areas of ecological significance covering approximately 23,234.5 ha were identified from a field reconnaissance survey undertaken in 1995–1997, together with information from existing databases and reports.
Te Paki Ecological District contains a high diversity of flora and fauna species, including many endemic taxa. Of particular significance are the 101 indigenous landsnail taxa known to inhabit the Ecological District (ED), including 39 locally endemic taxa. There are 20 locally endemic plant taxa, of which 17 are restricted to the Surville Cliffs serpentinite formation at North Cape and at least four lizards which are either endemic to the Te Paki ED or the Te Paki – Aupouri ED’s.
There are high numbers of rare or threatened species in the Ecological District, as well as rare ecosystem types. At present, nationally threatened taxa include 981 plants, 23 birds, 63 landsnails, 6 beetles, one weta, one moth, one slug, one earthworm, one spider, two freshwater invertebrates, 7 lizards and two2 fish. There are also a further 82 regionally significant taxa, which are considered rare or threatened in Northland (including 693 plants, 10 birds, 2 reptiles and 2 fish).
Virtually all natural areas in Te Paki Ecological District are of nationally significant conservation and ecological value with several areas reaching international significance. A large proportion of the natural areas identified are protected (87.1% or 20,244.4 ha), however most of this legal protection is Recreation Reserve (65% of the natural areas protected), which does not adequately provide for biodiversity protection. Priorities for land protection in Te Paki ED include the change in status of Te Paki Recreation Reserve to a higher level of formal protection, protection of sites with locally endemic species, legal protection of a buffer to the North Cape Scientific Reserve, protection of sites which provide habitat for threatened or regionally significant species, protection of buffers to Parengarenga Harbour (in adjacent Aupouri ED), and protection of unprotected enclaves within Mokaikai Scenic Reserve.
Publication information
Published by
Department of Conservation, Northland Conservancy
© Copyright 2009, New Zealand Department of Conservation
Cataloguing-in-Publication-data
Natural areas of Te Paki Ecological District : reconnaissance survey report for the Protected Natural Areas Programme / Jenny Lux, Wendy Holland, Stephen Rate, Sarah Beadel.
Whangarei, N.Z. : Dept. of Conservation, Northland Conservancy, 2009.
1 v. : ill., maps ; 30 cm.
ISBN 9780478144710 (hard copy)
ISBN 9780478144741 (Web pdf)
ISSN 0112-9252
(New Zealand Protected Natural Areas Programme (Series))
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 253–261).
1.Ecological surveys 2. Natural areas 3. New Zealand 4. Northland Region (N.Z.) 5. Te Paki Ecological District (N.Z.). I. Lux, Jenny. II. Holland, Wendy. III. Rate, Stephen. IV. Beadel, S. M. (Sarah M.)
In the interest of conservation, DOC supports paperless electronic publishing. When printing, paper manufactured with environmentally sustainable materials and processes is used wherever possible.
Footnotes
1 Four taxa are pre-1975 records
2 Includes unconfirmed record of black mudfish
3 Including one doubtful record and 7 pre-1975 records