Waihi North Project: Assessment of Terrestrial Ecological Values & Effects 62138 WNP AEE 37 While indigenous species generally dominate the planted compositions, and are relatively typical of young, regenerating ecosystems, nevertheless the plant and fauna diversity is low and many expected species of flora and fauna are not present and the tiers and structure are not yet typical. In the absence of lizards and little evidence of an avian community resident, we consider that the current representativeness of the planted feature as low. Rarity and distinctiveness No naturally uncommon or rare species were recorded. Again, we note the presence of planted kānuka and kauri trees which under their new precautionary conservation status (de Lange et al. 2018) would ordinarily cause a high value (Roper-Lindsay et al., 2018) and the planted nature of kauri, which does not form part of a natural community. We do not consider the presence of either of these species to trigger the rarity and distinctiveness criteria for the reasons set out in Section 3.2.2.1 . Therefore, the rarity and distinctiveness aspect here is considered to be low. Diversity and Pattern Being mostly a selected composition of planted plants, the vegetation and habitats at the NRS site are generally of low diversity and pattern. There is no obvious vegetation pattern complex despite there being a riparian element to the planting. There are no other environmental gradients reflected by the vegetation. The conclusion in regard to diversity and pattern is that this criterion is considered to be low. Ecological Context. The size and shape of the planted blocks is not a cohesive solid block, but being riparian they are generally long thin elements 15 m – 50 m wide over approximately 5.5 ha. The most “intact” component is roughly 100 m wide and 200 m long. Most of the feature is considered to be “edge” . The plantings do have a riparian enhancement function, and being linear there may also be some corridor / movement facilitation function of the planting, especially in terms of aquatic flighted invertebrates and also, to a degree, common native birds (e.g. fantail, grey warbler, silvereye) Currently the contextual value is considered low. Conclusion As with the Gladstone Pit assessment, the NRS is a well planted developing restoration area that is nevertheless still young, small, thin in dimension, and simple in composition and structure. Overall, the areas of planted native vegetation and the pine forest can be concluded to be of low ecological value. 5.2.4 Significance The treatment of this area is the same as the Gladstone Pit, in terms of disease-elevated conservation status species whereby the kānuka and planted kauri technically (Criterion 3, 11A, RPS) would cause the feature to be considered significant. Again, we do not consider those planted species here to trigger that criterion and we do not therefore conclude that the NRS terrestrial revegetation area is currently significant in terms of section 6(c) of the RMA.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE2NDg3