Waiology • Feb 08, 2013 •
By Daniel Collins Over the past two weeks we’ve had seven articles on wetlands from across New Zealand’s research and management communities. The occasion was World Wetlands Day on February 2. The articles provided a great cross-section of analysis on how we perceive, preserve and study wetlands. Here is a summary: Catherine Knight, from Massey University, started the series … Read More
Waiology • Feb 07, 2013 •
By Bev Clarkson The wetland restoration handbook is available free online at http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/services/biocons/wetlands/.New Zealand wetlands sustain indigenous biota, improve water quality, abate floods, lock up carbon, and provide cultural, recreational, and educational resources. Despite their multiple values, more than 90% of pre-settlement wetlands have been lost. Remaining wetlands are under increasing pressure through … Read More
Waiology • Feb 05, 2013 •
By Hugh Robertson The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is a global environmental treaty that “provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources”. The Ramsar Convention was established in 1971, in the city of Ramsar, Iran. Awarua wetland Ramsar site, Southland. Source: DOC.New Zealand became … Read More
Waiology • Feb 04, 2013 •
By Daniel Collins The simple answer is, of course, water. But that says little about the natural history of wetlands, or what physical conditions are necessary to maintain, restore or even engineer them. For that, we need to take a closer look at wetland hydrology. Wetlands are tracts of land that are water-logged at least seasonally. They may be spongy … Read More
Waiology • Feb 02, 2013 •
By Daniel Collins Halfway through Waiology’s series for World Wetlands Day we’ve already learned a lot about New Zealand wetlands and efforts to study and restore them. But today being the day, how about you actually visit one? I’ll be at Christchurch’s Travis Wetland. And then come back for more articles in the coming week. In the meantime, here … Read More
Waiology • Jan 31, 2013 •
By Dave Campbell In 1769 Captain James Cook’s Endeavour anchored at the mouth of the Waihou River near the present-day town of Thames. Cook’s naturalist, Joseph Banks, was impressed by the evident resources within the vast swamp forest that covered the lower Hauraki Plains: …The Noble timber, of which there is such an abundance, would furnish plenty of materials either … Read More
Waiology • Jan 30, 2013 •
By Shonagh Lindsay The Rotopiko/Serpentine complex, a headwater of the Waikato River at Ohaupo south of Hamilton, is steadily being developed by the National Wetland Trust as the site of New Zealand’s National Wetland Centre, a showcase for wetland education, training and research. To celebrate World Wetlands Day, the Trust will launch work on the National Wetland Centre … Read More
Waiology • Jan 29, 2013 •
By Philip Grove Canterbury has a wide variety of wetland types in a range of landscapes from the mountains and high country through to the foothills, plains and the coast. The biological productivity of coastal wetlands and their ecological importance in the life cycles of many native fish and birds is well recognised. A national database of inland freshwater wetlands … Read More
Waiology • Jan 28, 2013 •
By Catherine Knight The boardwalk through the wetland at Papaitonga, south of Levin, Horowhenua (photo: C. Knight). Through time, not only has our environment been transformed, but also the way we perceive it and the words we use to describe it. No example illustrates this better than the “swamp” to “wetland” transformation. When European settlement of New Zealand began … Read More
Waiology • Jan 28, 2013 •
By Daniel Collins This Saturday, February 2, is World Wetlands Day. It is the anniversary of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971, which was established to highlight the many values of wetlands and foster their conservation and sustainable use. Read More