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4 Indicator Specifications

4.19 Biodiversity – indicator species

A number of rare species are deemed to be “species indicators”, in the sense that they are sensitive to changes in the quality and extent of their habitat. By observing changes to the range of these species, it is then possible to learn something about the condition and/or functioning of their habitat as a whole.

4.19.1  Indicator and variable description

This core indicator is presented as a series of maps showing the distribution of seven indicator species at three points in time: pre-human settlement, the 1970s and 1980s, and the present. The seven species at hand – a subset of a wider reporting programme for biodiversity managed by the Department of Conservation – were selected for their indicator characteristics, habitat requirements, data availability, and level of threat (Table 41).

Table 41: Indicator species used to illustrate distribution changes of New Zealand’s native biodiversity

Name What is it? Why is it an indicator?
Lesser short-tailed bat/pekapeka (Mystacina tuberculata)
Referred to as lesser short-tailed bat in ENZ 07 report		 Endemic bat. Bats are our only native terrestrial mammal. Shows the general health and structure of forested ecosystems in many parts of New Zealand.
Kiwi (Apteryx spp) (five species) Endemic, flightless birds. A good indicator of the abundance of key mammalian predators in a range of forest types in many parts of the country.
Kākā (Nestor meridionalis) Endemic forest parrot. A good indicator of possum and stoat abundance in a range of forest types in both North and South Islands.
Kōkako (Callaeas cinerea) Endemic New Zealand wattlebird. An indicator of rat and possum densities in North Island forests. Due to its sensitivity, it only exists in managed sites.
Mōhua/yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala)
Referred to as mōhua in ENZ 07 report		 Endemic insectivorous forest bird. A very sensitive indicator of stoat and rat densities in South Island beech forest.
Wrybill/ngutu pare (Anarhynchus frontalis)
Referred to as wrybill in ENZ 07 report		 Small, endemic shorebird that is highly specialised for breeding in braided rivers. These depend on South Island braided rivers for breeding habitat and provide a good indicator of various threats degrading this ecosystem, such as pest predators and direct human impact, including water extraction and four-wheel-drive activities.
Dactylanthus/Woodrose/pua o te reinga (Dactylanthus taylorii)
Referred to as dactylanthus in ENZ 07 report		 Endemic, parasitic flowering plant. Indicates aspects of forest health in parts of the North Island, including densities of introduced browsers, presence of native pollinators, seed dispersers, and host trees.

4.19.2  Indicator calculation and measurement

Sampling frequency: The distribution of the seven indicator species for the following points of time: pre human settlement, 1970s and 1980s, and current.

Data sources: For more information on data sources refer to the Ministry for the Environment’s document Data stock-take for the core set of national environmental indicators and associated variables.

Spatial coverage and length of record: Nationwide coverage or coverage of managed areas. Presence/absence data is available for the 1970s and 1980s and present-day. Availability of further presence absence data varies for each species.

Measurement methods: Methods used in relevant DOC monitoring programmes.

4.19.3  Sample reporting formats

Figure 44: Change in distribution of the Lesser short-tailed bat or Peka Peka
Figure 44: Change in distribution of the Lesser short-tailed bat or Peka Peka
Source: Department of Conservation.

Text description of figure

This figure shows the distribution of the lesser short-tailed bat on a map of New Zealand: Its estimated pre-human distribution, during the 1970s and current distribution. It shows that its range has contracted and it now occupies about 5 per cent of its original range.

4.19.4  Compatibility with other indicator programmes

National indicator sets

International indicator sets
Proposed DoC national biodiversity indicator set. No comparable indicator in United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development core set, OECD Core Environmental Indicators and European Environment Agency Core Set of Indicators indicator sets.

Note: Small differences may exist in the way these variables are represented in other indicator sets.
Source: Web sites of UN Division of Sustainable Development, OECD, European Environment Agency.

4.19.5  References

Department of Conservation (DoC). 2000. New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy. DoC, Wellington.

Ministry for the Environment. 2007. Environment New Zealand. MfE, Wellington. ISBN 978-0-478-30192-2.

 

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