Key points
At the time of European settlement (1840), about half of the Waikato region was covered in native forest. Since then, large areas of forest have been cleared, leaving behind smaller patches, or 'fragments'. This indicator measures the level of native forest fragmentation in Waikato region and changes in the amount of fragmentation over time.
- At the time of European settlement the Waikato region had about 100 large forests. They had an average size of around 13,000 hectares and covered about half of the region.
- Today these 100 or so forests have been fragmented into 4922 smaller patches of forest, with an average size of 97 hectares. However, most of these (96 percent) are less than 25 hectares in size.
- Most (70 percent) of the native forest left in our region is in the 10 largest fragments (each greater than 10,000 hectares).
- Native forest in the Franklin and Waipa Districts and Hamilton City is the most fragmented in the region.
- On average, native forest patches in the region are less than 400 metres apart, but few are close to a large area of forest.
Source: Environment Waikato
What agencies are doing
- Environment Waikato monitors changes in forest fragmentation to update this indicator and to assist with policy making and resource consent decisions.
- We are helping to protect areas of native forest through: education, information and advice; regulation, for example, vegetation clearance rules on unstable land; and funding support, for example through the Environmental Initiatives Fund.
- We support Landcare groups in the region that are working to enhance native biodiversity through planting, pest control and fencing. Find out more about Care groups in our region.
- We have developed a 'Biodiversity Action Plan' and are part of the Waikato Biodiversity Forum, which is developing a restoration strategy for the region.
- We support research, for example, research into the distribution and diet of tui, kereru and bellbirds to find out how we can improve the landscape to increase their numbers.
What you can do to help
- Join or form a Landcare group in your area.
- Join an environmental group that purchases and manages natural areas, such as the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society or the Native Forest Restoration Trust.
- Create areas of native vegetation by planting a 'nurse crop', such as manuka, in areas unsuitable for other uses, for example steep land or alongside streams.
- Retire unproductive areas from grazing and let them revert to native vegetation.
- Landowners with areas of native forest can help maintain them by: controlling weeds and animal pests; fencing to keep stock out; protecting the land legally through covenants, for example with the QEII National Trust or with your district council; and planting around and between areas of native forest to increase their size and the amount of habitat available.
More information
More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.
What we want to achieve
The community outcomes we are seeking to achieve by measuring forest fragmentation are:
- The iconic landscapes and natural features of our environment define and sustain us. We respect and celebrate them as taonga.
- Our natural environment is protected and respected. Its ecological balance is restored, its air, soil and water quality is improved and its native biodiversity is enhanced.
- The traditional role of iwi and hapu as kaitiaki is acknowledged, respected and enabled.
- Our region’s waterways have consistently high water quality.