Land Data - Page 6

The area of farms involved in agricultural activities, and how this is changing, is important because agricultural activities can affect soil health and water.

Agricultural activities include beef and sheep, dairy, arable, horticulture, deer, pigs, and other livestock.

New Zealand has unique indigenous plants and animals that are our national taonga (treasures). Because most are endemic (found nowhere else in the world) New Zealand makes an important contribution to global biodiversity. Biodiversity is important for ecosystem processes, te ao Māori including mahinga kai (customary food gathering), and culture and recreation.

The conservation status of our biodiversity represents their risk of extinction. This data covers the conservation status, and most-recent change in status, of native and resident taxa for which we had sufficient information on abundance and distribution. This includes bats, birds, earthworms, lichens, plants, reptiles and frogs, snails, spiders, and insects.

We also include the number of species that have had a genuine change in conservation status between assessment periods.Where conservation status changed, this measure also looked at the NCTCS listings done in 2012 for birds (Robertson et al, 2017); 2012 for reptiles (Hitchmough et al, 2015); and 2010 for Orthoptera (Trewick et al, 2012). A change in a species’ conservation status reflects a change in its risk of extinction.

For more information on the Department of Conservation’s Threat Classification System (NZTCS) please refer to: www.doc.govt.nz/nztcs

The number of farms involved in agricultural activities, and how they are changing, is important because agricultural activities can affect soil health and water.

Agricultural activities include beef and sheep, dairy, arable, horticulture, deer, pigs, and other livestock.

The status of our bird communities is an important indicator of the condition of our ecosystems. Many indigenous birds play key ecological roles, including dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers. In some situations, exotic bird species (not indigenous to New Zealand) can partially fulfill these roles. A reduction in the distribution and/or decline in numbers for common and widespread species can equate to large losses of individuals and ecosystem integrity. By measuring the composition of bird communities across public conservation land (forest and non-forest sites) we can monitor how they change over time.

This measure reports on the occupancy of indigenous and exotic bird species on public conservation land, by wood cover, averaged over surveys from 2013 to 2016.

The status of our bird communities is an important indicator of the condition of our ecosystems. Many indigenous birds play key ecological roles, including dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers. In some situations, exotic bird species (not indigenous to New Zealand) can partially fulfil these roles. A reduction in the distribution and/or decline in numbers for common and widespread species can equate to large losses of individuals and ecosystem integrity. By measuring the composition of bird communities across public conservation land (forest and non–forest sites) we can monitor how they change over time.

This measure reports on the predicted richness (diversity) of bird species on public conservation land, by monitoring site, 2013–2016.

The status of our bird communities is an important indicator of the condition of our ecosystems. Many indigenous birds play key ecological roles, including dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers. In some situations, exotic bird species (not indigenous to New Zealand) can partially fulfil these roles. A reduction in the distribution and/or decline in numbers for common and widespread species can equate to large losses of individuals and ecosystem integrity. By measuring the composition of bird communities across public conservation land (forest and non-forest sites) we can monitor how they change over time.

This measure reports on the estimated abundance of seven common bird species on public conservation land, 2013–2016.Common species are species having occupancy over half of public conservation land.