Invasive species in New Zealand
A number of introduced species, some of which have become invasive species, have been added to New Zealand's native flora and fauna.
Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement with several waves of Polynesian[1] people at some time before the year 1300,[2] followed by Europeans after 1769.[3] Almost without exception,[4] the introduced species have been detrimental to the native flora and fauna but some, such as sheep and cows and the clover upon which they feed now form a large part of the economy of New Zealand.
Biosecurity New Zealand maintain registers, lists and indexes of species that are invasive, potentially invasive, or a threat to agriculture or biodiversity.[5]
Contents |
[edit] Animal species
Some of the more well known invasive animal species are:
[edit] Mammals |
[edit] Invertebrates |
[edit] Fish |
[edit] Plant species
The National Pest Plant Accord, with a listing of about 120 genus, species, hybrids and subspecies, was developed to limit the spread of plant pests. Invasive plants are classified as such on a regional basis with some plants declared as national plant pests. The Department of Conservation also lists 328 vascular plant species as environmental weeds.[6]
Some of the more well known invasive plant species are:
- Acacia species (mostly Australian) especially wattle
- Acanthus - Bears Britches
- Arundo donax - Giant Reed (or Elephant Grass)
- Banana passionfruit
- Darwin's Barberry
- Blackberry
- Boneseed
- Broom
- Californian thistle
- Cape Tulip
- Asparagus scandens - Climbing Asparagus
- Didymosphenia geminata ("didymo" or "rock snot")
- Japanese Honeysuckle
- Jasminum polyanthum - Jasmine
- Gorse
- Heather
- Kahili Ginger
- Lagarosiphon major (oxygen weed)
- Lodgepole Pine
- Loquat
- Lupin
- Mexican daisy
- Ageratina adenophora - Mexican devil
- Mistflower
- Morning glory - convolvulous
- Moth plant
- Egeria (oxygen weed)
- Old man's beard
- Pampas grass
- Privet - Tree Privet and Chinese Privet
- Purple loosestrife
- Queen of the Night
- Ragwort
- Rhamnus alaternus
- Rhododendron ponticum
- Schinus terebinthifolius - Christmasberry
- Scotch thistle
- Wandering Jew
- Willow - Crack willow and Gray Willow
- Yellow flag
The city of Auckland has been declared to be the weediest city in the world.[7]
[edit] See also
- Agapanthus in New Zealand
- Blue morning glory in New Zealand
- Common Brushtail Possum (New Zealand)
- Gorse in New Zealand
- Gypsy moths in New Zealand
- Old man's beard in New Zealand
- Stoats in New Zealand
- Wilding conifer
[edit] References
- ^ Howe, K. R. (2003). The Quest for Origins. p. 179. ISBN 0-14-301857-4.
- ^ New Scientist Webpage: Rat remains help date New Zealand's colonisation. Retrieved 23 June 2008.
- ^ Abel Tasman didn't land, so is unlikely to have introduced anything
- ^ It has been suggested that the Harrier Hawk may have benefited
- ^ "Registers, List and Indexes". MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/registers. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Howell, Clayson (May 2008). Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DRDS292. Wellington: Department of Conservation. ISBN 978-0-478-14413-0. http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/drds292.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ "Media release: Doctors prescribe attitude change for World’s weediest city". Landcare Research. 23 January 2006. http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/release.asp?Ne_ID=187. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
[edit] Further reading
- Kirk, T (1895). "The Displacement of Species in New Zealand". Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 28: pp1–27. http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_28/rsnz_28_00_000470.html.
- King, Carolyn M. (1985). Immigrant Killers: Introduced Predators and the Conservation of Birds in New Zealand. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195581157.
- Timmins, S; Williams, P. (1991). "Weed numbers in New Zealand's forest and scrub reserves". New Zealand Journal of Ecol (New Zealand Ecological Society) 15 (2): pp 153–162. http://www.nzes.org.nz/nzje/free_issues/NZJEcol15_2_153.pdf.
- Allen, R. B. (2006). Biological Invasions in New Zealand. Springer: Berlin. p. 457 pp. ISBN 3540300228.
- Anis Rahman and Ian Popay (1 August 2001). "Review of emerging weed problems in hill country pastures". http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/sustainable-resource-use/land-management/emerging-weeds/httoc.htm.
- Carolyn King (ed) (1993). "The Great Lake Pest Summit - Proceedings of the National Mammalian Pest Forum, May 1993". New Zealand Journal of Zoology (Royal Society of New Zealand) 20 (4). ISSN 0301-4223.
- Lee, William Thomas; Allen, Robert W. (2006). Biological invasions in New Zealand. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 3-540-30022-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=L8R8k4m4wlEC&pg=PA1.
- Hackwell, Kevin; New Zealand Conservation Authority (1999). Pests & Weeds: The Cost of Restoring an Indigenous Dawn Chorus: A Blueprint for Action Against the Impacts of Introduced Pest Organisms on the New Zealand Environment. Wellington [N.Z.]: New Zealand Conservation Authority. ISBN 0958330182.
- "The Future of Pest Management in New Zealand: A Think Piece". Local Government New Zealand. August 2008. http://www.lgnz.co.nz/library/files/store_020/The_Future_of_Pest_Management_in_NZ.pdf. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
[edit] External links
- "Weedbusters" - information on plant pests
- "New Zealand Biodiversity" - information on adventive insects especially flatworms, cockroaches, and millipedes
- Biosecurity New Zealand NZ Government Agency responsible for biosecurity
- New Zealand Department of Conservation - animal pests
- New Zealand Department of Conservation - plant pests
- New Zealand Ministry for the Environment - list of species considered to be weeds on conservation land
- New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - searchable database on unwanted organisms
- Publications
