|
|
The foggy and rainy mountains of the Paparoa and Tasman ranges tower over the rest of this ecoregion. Limestone and marble are common here, making this one of New Zealand’s most prominent karst landscapes. Small pockets of lowland rainforest grow over karst substrate, close to the shore. Here, large endemic trees such as the northern rata, rimu, and miro trees grow. But Bbeech forest is truly dominates in this ecoregion, with all four species of southern beech found here, and is found from higher elevations all the way down to the sea in some locations. Red and silver beech grow in fertile lowlands, while hard beech grows on poor, low-lying soils. and Ttough mountain beech extends up to 4,590 ft (1,400 m). In other areas, canopies of lush hardwoods grow closer to shore, with emergent endemics such as northern rata, rimu and miro trees. Red and silver beech are found further inland, with silver beech dominating at higher altitudes. An amazing variety of endemic species are found here, especially higher up in the inaccessible mountain ranges.
The uplands in this region served as a refuge for plants and animals during the last Ice Age, giving rise to the considerable diversity seen today. These mountainous regions harbor an impressive variety of plants, with more than 40 plant groups endemic to these the areamountains, including forget-me-nots and special plants that have adapted to grow on marble and limestone substrates. A large number of endemic insects live in the mountains, with many species adapted to caves. The cave dwellers include cave wetas (large, grasshopper-like insects) and cave beetles. Preying upon these insects is the Nelson cave spider. This spider has a leg span of almost five inches (12 cm) and is the last surviving member of an ancient group of spiders that thrived several million years ago. This area is home to many bird species that can no longer survive in the degraded lowlands, including two flightless endemics, the weka (woodhen) and the great spotted kiwi, the largest of all kiwi species. Kiwis come out at night and use their long, thin bills to probe the soil for earthworms. The fast- flying New Zealand falcon is commonly seen soaring overhead, while noisy keas--green alpine parrots--search for fruit and other food among the tree branchesberries, shoots and carrion. Primitive, colorful land snails as large as four inches (10 cm) in diameter slowly make their way across the forest floor . Even the rivers are full of endemic species. The endemic blue duck, or whio, is found in fast-moving rivers, and a large number of the aquatic invertebrates, such as caddisflies and stoneflies, are endemic. Abel Tasman National Park is known for its New Zealand fur seal rookeries and little blue penguin populations, while Farewell Spit, a classic sandspit, attracts more than 80 species of birds.
Logging and mining are threats in this ecoregion. Introduced mammalian predators threaten native animals, while introduced herbivores damage natural vegetation. . The remote highlands offer some protection for native animals, such as birds, that are decreasing due to habitat loss and predation. Fur seals were once hunted extensively for their pelts, but since this harmful practice was banned they have been returning to the Nelson Coast… For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report. All text by World Wildlife Fund © 2001
|
More Photos
