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Limitations of the biodiversity indicators

The indicators used to report on biodiversity assess only native land-based and freshwater ecosystems. They do not include marine ecosystems.

The indicators do not provide information on ecosystems at a community or habitat level – that is, the distribution and number of various species in an ecosystem or habitat cannot be determined on the basis of these indicators. Neither do the indicators provide information about the quality of the habitats or ecosystems.

Legal protection of native vegetation does not indicate the condition of an ecosystem or habitat – that is, it does not show how effective the legal protection is. Conversely, active pest management on land contributes to biodiversity goals, even if the land is not formally protected.

Information about the seven indicator species illustrates changes in the distribution of these species but does not illustrate the abundance or stability of populations.

 

This information has come from the latest national state of the environment report Environment New Zealand 2007.

 

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Last updated: December 2007