List of all metadata reports | This report's TOC | Previous Page | Next Page
System Title |
4.4 Ecological Regions and Districts |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Ecological districts; Protected Natural Areas Programme; eco-regionalisation; representativeness; protection |
| Description | New Zealand is divided into 85 ecological regions and 268 ecological districts.
Ecological district boundaries have been delineated by expert panels at 1:500
000 scale based on climatic, geological, topographical and biological factors.
An ecological district is a part of New Zealand where geological, topographical,
climatic and biological features and processes interrelate to produce a characteristic
landscape and range of biological communities. An ecological region is a group
of adjacent ecological districts with closely related characteristics.
Ecological regions and districts were developed specifically for the Protected Natural Areas Programme in 1981. 2-8 ecological districts have been surveyed each year since the mid-1980s. The ecological district is used as the context for assessing representativeness when identifying the "recommended areas for protection". The location and description of Recommended Areas for Protection forms the heart of a PNA programme survey report for an ecological district. |
| Original Purpose | Ecological regions and districts were developed for the Protected Natural Areas Programme. This programme was established to assist the Crown to meet its requirements under section 3(1)b of the Reserves Act, 1977. That section of the Act identifies the need to establish an ecologically representative protected natural area system. Ecological regions and districts were established as the framework for assessing representativeness. |
| Status | Ecological regions and districts were developed by the Biological Resources Centre in 1981. |
| Organisation | Department of Conservation (since 1987) |
| Jurisdiction | New Zealand |
| Contact person/position | Paul Mahoney Senior Technical Support Officer |
| Address | Central Regional Office DOC Box 12 416 Wellington Phone: +64 4 499 2300 Fax: +64 4 499 2301 Email: pmahoney@doc.govt.nz |
| Available format | Published reports |
| Access | Freely available |
| Geographical coverage | New Zealand |
Operational Specifications |
|
|---|---|
| Scale of Operation | Nationwide boundaries are mapped at 1:500 000; boundaries are often redrawn at 1:50 000 at the time an ecological district is surveyed. |
| GIS Compatibility | It is possible for ecological district boundaries to be digitized. For those ecological districts whose boundaries have been redrawn at 1:50 000 scale their boundaries could be digitized at that scale. It would not be appropriate to digitize boundaries that were originally drawn at 1:500 000 scale, at a 1:50 000 scale. |
| Relationship between levels in the classification system | The system has 2 levels (ecological regions/ ecological districts). There is a hierarchical relationship between the levels. |
| Contributing databases/classification systems | N/A |
| Contributing database GIS compatibility | N/A |
| Relationship with other classification systems and spatial frameworks. | This is part of the ecological classification system used in the Protected Natural Area Programme. |
| Relationship with other databases | Each surveyed ecological district contains a database of Recommended Areas for Protection. |
Current and emerging use for: |
|
|---|---|
| Assisting with determining historic state/ baseline | No |
| Assisting with determining current state/ baseline | Ecological regions and districts are used as a framework for assessing the representativeness of the terrestrial protected area network. |
| Asssisting with scenario building and modelling of possible futures | No |
| Risk Assesment | The framework is used to identify ecological districts where the protected area network does not adequately represent the diversity of biological communities and landforms; and where little indigenous character remains. |
| Monitoring site selection and sample design | Ecological regions and districts can be used as basis for site selection for assessing the representativeness of the protected natural area network. |
| Aggregating and reporting data locally, regionally and/or nationally | Terrestrial biodiversity data can be aggregated and reported at the ecological district or ecological region level. National reporting would be possible where information has been collected on the systematic basis for all ecological districts. This is not currently the case. |
Current use (who,level,why)
The ecological regions and districts framework has been used extensively by the Department of Conservation since 1987. Not all ecological districts have yet been surveyed to identify a suite of representative Recommended Areas for Protection as part of the Protected Natural Areas Programme. The Protected Natural Areas Programme and Ecological Districts are supported by the Department because they are seen to provide a systematic and relatively rigorous way for the Crown to identify its priorities for protection.
Some Local Authorities(eg. Auckland Regional Council) have used ecological districts as a planning framework. Specific uses include using ecological districts as a basis for identifying representative and other significant terrestrial ecosystems; sourcing genetically appropriate species for restoration work; and preparing open space strategies.
User friendliness/public and decision maker understanding
The concept of ecological regions and districts is generally well-known. Ecological regions and districts are defined by lines on the map. There is a description of the character of each ecological district which is usually expanded at the time of survey.
Framework strengths
- Many ecological districts have a character which can be identified and this is usually promoted as part of the survey/implementation process.
- Ecological regions and districts concept is well-known and widely used.
- Ecological districts have been incorporated into many planning documents prepared under a variety of legislation.
- Ecological regions and districts is a framework of choice for terrestrial biodiversity work for some agencies. Some of these agencies have invested a lot of money in this framework. Alternative frameworks could be expensive for them.
Current limitations of framework
- Ecological regions and districts have a terrestrial focus. Freshwater and marine elements are generally not considered in the identification of boundaries.
- Information collected using the ecological region and districts framework has been used in ways that are inappropriate or beyond that which was intended when the framework was established. For example information collected has been linked with restrictive planning rules in district plans. This has resulted in the framework becoming discredited in some sectors of the community(e.g. some rural landowners).
- Information has not been collected about all ecological regions and districts. It is not yet possible to use the framework to report nationally on the representativeness of protected areas.
- The ecological district boundaries are not defined using repeatable quantifiable methodology. Some boundaries are arbitrary.
- There is a high level of heterogeneity within some ecological districts.
References
Biological Resources Centre, 1983. Maps of ecological regions and districts of New Zealand. Scale 1:500,000. Wellington:
Biological Resources Centre.
Numerous PNA programme survey reports