Estimating the proportion of Archey’s frogs in the Wharekirauponga mine vibration footprint 6 Twelve transects (Figure 5), with a combined length of 46 km, were surveyed during late March 2022. The transects passed through areas dominated by four different NZ LRI vegetation types (Table 3): manuka-kanuka scrub (M1), kauri forest (N2), low altitude podocarp-hardwood forest (N3a) and general hard wood forest (N5) at altitudes ranging from 100 m to 600 m a.sl.. Table 3. Lengths (km) of twelve nocturnal transects passing through each of four dominant NZ LRI vegetation types. See Figure 62 for a map of the transect locations. Transect ID NZ LRI Vegetation Types Track Length (km) M 1 N 2 N3a N 5 1 1.27 1.37 1.77 0.18 4.58 2 5.54 5.40 0 1.55 12.49 5 0.73 0 0 2.45 3.18 7 0 1.69 0 0 1.69 8 1.00 4.92 0.65 0 6.56 9 0 0.09 0 0 0.09 10 0 3.82 0 0 3.82 11 0 5.01 0 0 5.01 12 2.50 0 0 0 2.50 13 0 2.76 0 0 2.76 14 3.06 0 0 0 3.06 Length (km) 14.09 25.06 2.41 4.17 45.74 M1- Manuka-kanuka; N2 - Kauri; N3a - podocarp-hardwood; N5 - Hardwood. Archey’s frogs were only found on one transect: Transect 2, a transect close to the northern edge of the southern sub-population’s range (Figures 5 & 6). Archey’s frogs were found in all three dominant vegetation types along half of the 12 km transect’s length at altitudes ranging from 200 m to 460 m a.s.l.. Fifty-eight Archey’s frogs were found, with similar detection rates (frogs/km) in all three principal vegetation types (Table 4). Most frogs were found on sedges (Cyperaceae; e.g. cutty grass). Areas of the three dominant vegetation types along the transect included minor components of other vegetation types (Figure 6). The manuka-kanuka scrub included both mixed native scrub and hardwood forest (M1, m6 & M1, n5), kauri forest included manuka-kanuka scrub (N2, m1) and the hard wood forest included both manuka-kanuka scrub and kauri forest (N5, M1, n2). Frogs in manuka-kanuka scrub were between 400 and 460 m a.sl, but no frogs were found in manuka-kanuka scrub along a section of transect running along a valley floor.
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