The Ahukawakawa Swamp is an area of

sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

bog in

Egmont National Park Egmont National Park () is located south of New Plymouth, close to the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The park covers Mount Taranaki and its slopes. The park was first created in 1881 as a forest reserve and went on to become ...

in the

Taranaki Region Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

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 ...

. It was formed approximately 3,500 years ago and is of particular interest to botanists. Over 260 species of higher plant have been recorded there. The area of the swamp is approximately 1 km².

Geomorphology

The swamp sits at an altitude of 920 metres"Taranaki wetlands"
. Department of Conservation/ ''Te Papa Atawhai''. Retrieved 6 January 2015. and lies between the main cone of

Mount Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is the second highest point in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. The mountain has a secon ...

and the

Pouakai Range The Pouakai Range is an eroded and heavily vegetated stratovolcano in the North Island of New Zealand, located northwest of Mount Taranaki. It consists of the remains of a collapsed Pleistocene stratovolcano. The range is surrounded by a ring ...

to the northwest, which reaches 1,400 metres. It was formed about 3,500 years ago when a lava extrusion and a later debris flow blocked the Stony River. This extrusion, which reaches 1,052 metres, lies to the west of the swamp and is known as The Dome. The outlet from the swamp forms the Bells Falls. The area is still subject to

geomorphological Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...

change. The Stony River was considered Taranaki's best trout fishery until severe erosion and land instability in the river's headwaters from 1997 onwards caused high sediment loads.

Vegetation

This alpine wetland is of interest to botanists because "its wide range of plants have adapted to acidic soils at very low temperatures.""Western North Island parks"
Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 6 January 2015."Ahukawakawa Swamp"
Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 6 January 2015. Sedges, herbs, grasses and mosses make up the ground cover on the floor of the wetland and the

divaricating Divaricate means branching, or having separation or a degree of separation. The angle between branches is wide. In botany In botany, the term is often used to describe the branching pattern of plants. Plants are said to be divaricating when the ...

shrub ''

Melicytus drucei ''Melicytus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Violaceae. ''Hymenanthera'' is a synonym. Species * '' Melicytus alpinus'' – porcupine shrub (New Zealand) *'' Melicytus angustifolius'' (New Zealand) ro. parte synonym of ''Melicytus ...

'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the area."Pouakai Circuit" information sheet. (2014) Department of Conservation. The large red tussocks that form in the cool environment and medium fertility wet soils are a feature of the natural environment. Over 260 species of higher plant have been recorded in the swamp and Margaret Bayfield identified several different assemblages within it. The southern margin comprises scrub and shrub/tussockland and is dominated by inaka (var. ''filifolium'') although other shrubs such as '' Veronica odora'' and leatherwood are also common. In the "mire proper" red tussock is dominant and found along with various sedges including '' Carex coriacea'' and star sedge. There are abundant mosses, especially '' Dicranoloma robustum'' and sphagnum. Small bodies of open water towards the east end of the swamp contain the pond weed ''Potamogeton suboblongus'' and the New Zealand sub-species of the milfoil '' Myriophyllum pedunculatum''.Clarkson (1986) pp. 45-47

Tourism

The Pouakai Circuit, a 2–3 day 25 km tramp that has two overnight huts available, passes through "the unique Ahukawakawa Swamp" via a

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bridge ...

Citations

References

* Clarkson, B. D. (1986) ''Vegetation of Egmont National Park New Zealand''. National Parks Scientific Series Number 5. Science Information Publishing Centre. Wellington. {{coord, -39.25, 174.05, display=title, region:NZ_type:waterbody Protected areas of Taranaki Wetlands of New Zealand Landforms of Taranaki

Geomorphology

Vegetation

Tourism

See also

Citations

References