Our Mission

Leading and involving the Southland community in managing our natural resources of air, water, land and coast in order to protect and enhance the lifestyle and well-being of current and future generations.

Biodiversity

You are here: Home > Environment > Land > Biodiversity

Biological diversity, or "biodiversity" for short, describes the variety of all biological life - plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms - the genes they contain and the ecosystems on land or in water where they live (New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, Feb 2000).

Southland's Biodiversity Challenges

Although New Zealand was one of the last places on earth to be settled by humans, it has one of the worst records of native biodiversity loss. Fire, land clearance, overexploitation of resources, and introduced plants and animals have had a cumulative effect on native biodiversity. As a result dozens of species have become extinct and an increasing number are now threatened with extinction. Southland is no exception.

In New Zealand around 1000 species continue to be threatened, and some, like the Kakapo, are on the brink of extinction. While ongoing habitat loss is a serious problem for threatened species of plants and animals, the biggest threat now is introduced weeds and animal pests. The most damaging animal pests include possums (around 70 million), stoats, feral cats, rats, deer and goats.

Working Together - Agencies Promoting Biodiversity in the Southland Region

Local government has specific obligations under the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, specifically:

• Resource management: the sustainable management of land, freshwater and coastal ecosystems, and harvested biodiversity.
• Biosecurity management: the management of threats from established pests.

Environment Southland is working in conjunction with other agencies such as the Department of Conservation, QEII Trust, local Landcare groups, and numerous other community oragnisations to meet these obligations by:

• Holding and actively participating in field days, education programmes, and planting days
• Assisting local environmental groups
• Undertaking and contracting out pest plant and animal control in significant areas.

What Can I Do?

There are many ways you can help to look after New Zealand's unique biodiversity:

• You can begin at home, in your own backyard or the paddock.
• Get involved by becoming a Conservation Volunteer, or with a local community group through the Southland Ecological Restoration Network (SERN).
• Take precautions when you travel to keep New Zealand free of unwanted pests and diseases.
• Many organisations provide information and funding to help you.

Related information

• Home
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Biodiversity NZ Strategy
• High Value Area Surveys
• Pest Animals

Factsheets

• Introduction to Southland Native Plants for Forest and Wetland Restoration
• Southland Native Forest Restoration Planting
• Southland Native Shelterbelt Planting
• Southland Native Wetland and Streamside Native Planting
• Special Southland Plants

Need a PDF Reader?

Many of the publications on this site are made available as Adobe Portable Document Files (PDF). If your browser software does not currently support Adobe PDF, please download the free Adobe Reader software program by clicking the icon above.