Northland temperate kauri forest
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The Northland temperate kauri forests is an
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
in northern
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, within the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
.


Location and description

This ecoregion covers the northern end of
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
. The landscape is flat when compared with most of New Zealand and includes the regions of Northland,
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
around the city of
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
and Waikato around the town of
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
. Kauri trees are found north of 38°S. The region also includes a number of offshore islands and some of New Zealand's few remaining original wetland habitats such as the Firth of Thames, and the
Kopuatai Peat Dome The Kopuatai Peat Dome is a large peatland complex on the Hauraki Plains in the North Island of New Zealand. It consists of two raised domes, one in the north and the other in the south, that are up to three metres higher at the center than at t ...
and the
Whangamarino Wetland The Whangamarino Wetland in the Waikato District is the second largest wetland complex of the North Island of New Zealand. Encompassing a total area of more than 7200 hectares, the Department of Conservation ''Te Papa Atawhai'' manages 5,923 hect ...
in the Hauraki Plains. The climate is warm and humid.


Flora

This area is home to a number of endemic plants especially in regions of Northland such as
Cape Reinga , type =Cape , photo = Cape Reinga, Northland, New Zealand, October 2007.jpg , photo_width = 270px , photo_alt = , photo_caption = , map = New Zealand , map_width = 270px ...
and Te Paki which have at times been cut off from the rest of the island by high sea levels. The ecoregion is named for its most notable endemic species, the impressive southern kauri trees, which can grow to 55m high and 20m round and has no lower branches but a long trunk of up to 30m and a wide crown. There are few areas still thickly covered by the kauri forest that once dominated this whole area, but the trees are so huge that they are the most noticeable feature even in woodland where they are present in small numbers. Much of the kauri forest has been cleared for timber and the land converted to agriculture. This region is the southernmost habitat of the kauri and also mangroves. There are more endemic species on the offshore islands such as the Poor Knights Islands and Three Kings Islands, which are home to rare plants including the only species of ''
Elingamita ''Elingamita'' is a genus in the plant family Primulaceae. It consists of a single species, ''Elingamita johnsonii'', a tree or shrub endemic to the Three Kings Islands approximately 55 km north of the North Island of New Zealand. The entire ...
'' and others such as ''
Pennantia baylisiana ''Pennantia baylisiana'', commonly known as Three Kings kaikōmako or (Māori), is a species of plant in the family Pennantiaceae (Icacinaceae in older classifications). It is endemic to Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, around northwest o ...
'' and
Three Kings vine ''Tecomanthe speciosa'' (also known as the Three Kings vine or akapukaea) is a species of subtropical forest lianes. A single specimen was first discovered on Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, 55 km off the northern tip of New Zealand, dur ...
.


Fauna

The forests are home to a number of rare birds including the endangered North Island kokako wattlebird, the North Island brown kiwi, and three endemic parrots red-crowned parakeet, the
New Zealand kaka New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
and the kakapo, the last of which now only survives on the offshore Little Barrier Island. Invertebrates found in the region include the large wētā and
cave wētā The orthopteran family Rhaphidophoridae of the suborder Ensifera has a worldwide distribution. Common names for these insects include cave wētā, cave crickets, camelback crickets, camel crickets, Hogan bugs, spider crickets (sometimes shorten ...
.


Threats and preservation

This fertile area has long been the most populous part of New Zealand and the original kauri forest has mostly been removed. The logging and gum-tapping that caused this has stopped now and much of the remaining kauri forest is now protected in the Northland region and on the Coromandel Peninsula. The largest stands of kauri are found in Waipoua Forest with another large area in Trounson Kauri Park south of
Aranga Aranga is a municipality in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain in the province of A Coruña with an area of 120.49 km² (46.52 mi²), population of 2,181 inhabitants (INE, 2008). It is situated in the comarca of Betanzos Bet ...
, both areas are on the west coast of Northland. Wildlife in the region is vulnerable to introduced predators such as the Polynesian rat,
ferret The ferret (''Mustela furo'') is a small, Domestication, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), evidenced by their Hybrid (biol ...
s and stoats to the extent that the strongest remaining populations of many plants, birds and reptiles are on offshore islands rather than North Island itself. Some North Island species have been introduced to the offshore as a preservation measure, while other species found there are indigenous to the small islands, including a number of lizards on the
Mercury Islands The Mercury Islands are a group of seven islands off the northeast coast of New Zealand's North Island. They are located off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, and northeast of the town of Whitianga. History The Ngāti Karaua (a hapu of ...
and the
Falla's skink Falla's skink or the Three Kings skink (''Oligosoma fallai'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. Etymology The specific name, ''fallai'', is in honor of New Zealander ornithologist Robert Falla.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Gra ...
on the Three Kings Islands.


References

{{reflist Ecoregions of New Zealand Forests of New Zealand Geography of New Zealand Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Australasian ecoregions Agathis