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Southland Temperate Forests
The Southland temperate forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion on New Zealand's South Island. The natural vegetation was mostly forest, but over the centuries human activities, including grazing and fires, replaced much of the original forest with grassland and agriculture.Fund, W. (2014)Southland temperate forests Geography The Southland temperate forests occupy the southernmost portion of the South Island. Fiordland lies to the west. The South Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southeast. The Takitimu Mountains and Hokonui Hills form the northern edge of the ecoregion. Other highlands include the Longwood Range in the southwest, and The Catlins in the southeast. The Southland Plains cover the central-southern portion of the ecoregion. Invercargill is the largest city in the ecoregion. Most of the ecoregion lies within the Southland Region, with part of the northeast of the ecoregion being in Otago. Flora The natural vegetation was mostly forest of b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Catlins
The Catlins (sometimes referred to as The Catlins Coast) comprises an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions. It includes the South Island's southernmost point, Slope Point. A rugged, sparsely populated area, the Catlins features a scenic coastal landscape and dense temperate rainforest, both of which harbour many endangered species of birds, most notably the rare yellow-eyed penguin. The coast attracts numerous marine mammals, among them New Zealand fur seals and Hooker's sea lions. In general terms the area enjoys a maritime temperate climate. Its exposed location leads to its frequently wild weather and heavy ocean swells, which are an attraction to big-wave surfers, and have also caused numerous shipwrecks. People have lived in the area since around 1350 AD. Prior to European settlement, the region was sparsely inhabited by nomadi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Invercargill
Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains to the east of the Ōreti or New River some north of Bluff, which is the southernmost town in the South Island. It sits amid rich farmland that is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, including Fiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island and the Catlins coastal region. Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in Scotland. These include the main streets Dee and Tay, as well as those named after the Tweed, Forth, Tyne, Esk, Don, Ness, Yarrow, Spey, Eye and Ythan rivers, amongst others. The 2018 census showed the population was 54,204, up 2.7% on the 2006 census number and up 4.8% on the 2013 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yellowhead (bird)
The yellowhead or mōhua (''Mohoua ochrocephala'') is a small insectivorous passerine bird endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Once a common forest bird, its numbers declined drastically after the introduction of rats and stoats, and it is now near threatened. Name The yellowhead was known in the 19th century as the "bush canary", after its trilling song. Today it is often known by its Māori name mōhua in New Zealand English, but Māori also knew it as ''mōhoua'' and ''houa''. Recent classification places this species and its close relative, the whitehead, in the family Mohouidae. Distribution The yellowhead and the whitehead have allopatric distributions as, conversely, the latter is found only in the North Island and several small islands surrounding it. Although abundant in the 19th century, particularly in southern beech forests on the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura, mōhua declined dramatically in the early 20th century due to the introduction ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yellow-eyed Penguin
The yellow-eyed penguin (''Megadyptes antipodes''), known also as hoiho or tarakaka, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand. Previously thought closely related to the little penguin (''Eudyptula minor''), molecular research has shown it more closely related to penguins of the genus ''Eudyptes''. Like most other penguins, it is mainly piscivorous. The species breeds along the eastern and south-eastern coastlines of the South Island of New Zealand, as well as Stewart Island, Auckland Islands, and Campbell Islands. Colonies on the Otago Peninsula are a popular tourist venue, where visitors may closely observe penguins from hides, trenches, or tunnels. On the New Zealand mainland, the species has experienced a significant decline over the past 20 years. On the Otago Peninsula, numbers have dropped by 75% since the mid-1990s and population trends indicate the possibility of local extinction in the next 20 to 40 years. While the effect of rising ocean temperatures is stil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chionochloa ''
* ''Chionochloa pallida - ''Chionochloa'' is a genus of tussock grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in New Zealand with one known species in New Guinea and another on Lord Howe Island (part of Australia). Some of the species are referred to as snowgrass. Most of the species in the genus grow in clumps, some up to 1.5 m tall. Red tussock dominates the tall tussock grasslands on the volcanic mountains of the North Island of New Zealand and can also be found in areas on the northern half of the South Island. Snow tussock, of which there are several species, can be found above the tree line together with other species. ; Species ; formerly included see ''Rytidosperma ''Rytidosperma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. Most of the species occur in Australasia, with a few in insular Southeast Asia, southern South America (Chile + Argentina), and certain islands of the Pacific (Hawaii + Easter Island). [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Tussock Grass
''Chionochloa rubra'', known commonly as red tussock grass, is a species of tussock grass in the grass family, endemic to New Zealand. Description New Zealand has 22 endemic species of ''Chionochloa'', including ''Chionochloa rubra'', which has a distinctive appearance from other members in the genus. ''C. rubra'' has a long living span, meaning that there is rarely any dead foliage around the plant — giving the species a clean, sleek and vertical look. The plant will grow up to 1–1.2m high in rich moist ground, with seed heads reaching even taller. The leaf blade themselves grow up to 1m long and 1.2mm in diameter, and the plant width itself is 50 cm in diameter (with little rhizomatous spread). There are usually long hairs next to the base of the leaf and prickle-teeth towards the apex that help distinguish it from other ''Chionochloa'' species. There is also rows of short hairs at the base of the leaf. However, in dry habitat conditions such as dry clay soil the plan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamahi
''Weinmannia racemosa'', commonly called kāmahi, is an evergreen small shrub to medium-sized tree of the family Cunoniaceae. It is the most abundant forest tree in New Zealand, occurring in lowland, montane, and subalpine forests and shrubland from the central North Island south to Stewart Island. Description Kāmahi bears racemes of small, pink or white flowers from July to January. Fruits are small capsules, long, ripening from October to May. Kāmahi generally occurs with other broadleaf trees, at times acting as a pioneer species which is eventually succeeded by the southern beeches (''Nothofagus'' spp.) or podocarps. It reaches or more in the Catlins of the south-eastern South Island. In forests to the west of the Southern Alps it codominates with southern rātā (''Metrosideros umbellata'') and black beech (''N. solandri''). A closely related tree, tōwai or tawhero ('' W. sylvicola''), replaces kāmahi in the North Island north of latitude 38°S. Uses The b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Rata
''Metrosideros umbellata'', the southern rātā, is a tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to or more tall with a trunk up to or more in diameter. It produces masses of red flowers in summer. Unlike its relative, northern rātā, this species rarely grows as an epiphyte. Description The flowers of southern rātā are scarlet, with stamens about long. White or yellow flowers are also known. Flowering usually occurs between December and February, but this depends on local conditions. Leaves are from to long, and are sharply pointed. The wood is hard, dense, and very strong. The bark is rough and flaky and provides an ideal stratum for the roots of epiphytic plants such as ''Astelia'' species and Freycinetia banksii (Kiekie). Southern rātā is a major source of honey on the West Coast of the South Island. Kaka, tui, and bellbirds visit rātā to take advantage of the abundant nectar. Distribution It prefers cooler regions with high rainfall and is particularly com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rimu
''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps. The Māori name ''rimu'' comes from the Polynesian term ''limu'' which the tree's foliage were reminded of, ultimately from Proto-Austronesian *''limut'' meaning "moss". The former name "red pine" has fallen out of common use. Distribution Rimu grows throughout New Zealand, in the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. This species is common in lowland and montane forest. Although the largest concentration of trees is now found on the West Coast of the South Island, the biggest trees tend to be in mixed podocarp forest near Taupō (e.g., Pureora, Waihaha, and Whirinaki Forests). A typical North Island habitat is in the Hamilton Ecological District, where '' Fuscospora truncata'' and rimu form the overstory. Associate ferns on the forest floor are ''Blechnum discolor'', ''B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kahikatea
''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'', commonly known as kahikatea (from Māori) and white pine, is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand. A podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of 60 m and a life span of 600 years. It was first described botanically by the French botanist Achille Richard in 1832 as ''Podocarpus'' ''dacrydioides'', and was given its current binomial name ''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'' in 1969 by the American botanist David de Laubenfels. Analysis of DNA has confirmed its evolutionary relationship with other species in the genera ''Dacrycarpus'' and ''Dacrydium''. In traditional Māori culture, it is an important source of timber for the building of waka and making of tools, of food in the form of its berries, and of dye. When Europeans discovered it in the 18th century they found large remnant stands in both the North and South Islands, despite burning of forest by early Māori. Its use for timber and its damp fertile habitat, ideal for dairy far ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nothofagus Fusca
''Nothofagus fusca'', commonly known as red beech (Māori: tawhai raunui) is a species of southern beech, endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs on both the North Island and South Island. Generally it is found on lower hills and inland valley floors where soil is fertile and well drained. In New Zealand the species is called ''Fuscospora fusca''. It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to 35 m tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, broad ovoid, 2 to 4 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm broad, the margin distinctively double-toothed with each lobe bearing two teeth. The fruit is a small cupule containing three seeds. Pollen from the tree was found near the Antarctic Peninsula showing that it formerly grew in Antarctica since the Eocene period. Red beech is not currently considered threatened. Uses Red beech is the only known plant source, apart from rooibos (''Aspalathus linearis''), of the C-linked dihydrochalcone glycoside nothofagin. It is also grown as an ornamenta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silver Beech
''Nothofagus menziesii'', commonly known as silver beech ( mi, tawhai, tahina), is a tree of the southern beech family endemism, endemic to New Zealand. Its common name probably comes from the fact that its bark is whitish in colour, particularly in younger specimens.John Dawson and Rob Lucas "''The Nature Guide to the New Zealand Forest''", Godwit, 2000 It is found from Thames southwards in the North Island (except Mount Taranaki/Egmont),H.H. Allan, "''Flora of New Zealand,volume 1''",Government Printer, 1961 and throughout the South Island. Silver beech is a forest tree up to 30 m tall. The trunk, which is often buttressed, may be up to 2 m in diameter.John Salmon (entomologist), J. T. Salmon, "''A Field Guide to the Native Trees of New Zealand''", Reed Methuen, 1986 The leaf, leaves are small, thick and almost round in shape, 6 to 15 mm long and 5 to 15 mm wide with rounded teeth which usually occur in pairs, 1 or 2 hair fringed domatia are found on the underside of ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
