Central Otago

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The Central Otago ecoregion is one of nine broadly classified ecoregions in New Zealand .

geography

The Central Otago ecoregion is located in the south of the South Island of New Zealand and comprises the district area of ​​the Central Otago District , the eastern part of the Queenstown-Lakes District , the southern part of the Waitaki District , the northern part of the Clutha District and the western part of the urban area of Dunedin .

Climatic conditions

The characteristic of the Central Otago ecoregion from a climatic point of view is that the region is surrounded by mountains from the southwest to the west and north to the northeast, which keep out rainy clouds and, despite the proximity to the sea, the climate is similar to a continental one , more than a maritime one . The summers are accordingly warm and dry, whereas the winters are cold and snowy. Accordingly, Central Otago is the least rainy region in the country.

Flora and fauna

Before colonization

Before Māori settled the country, there were forests consisting of Mataī and Tōtara in the lowlands and forests of mountain beeches and silver beeches in the humid highlands. The vegetation defining the landscape consisted of Tōtara , Kānuka , Kōwhai and bushland from Muehlenbeckia , Coprosma and Olearia . The Māori consumption of firewood led to the deforestation of forests and scrubland. In Central Otago , different types of moas , Haastadler , Eyles-Weihe , flightless geese and ducks, Kākāpō and Takahē , as well as reptiles like Tuatara , Skinke and geckos lived .

today

Today, the vast plains of Central Otago , if not cultivated, are often made up of grassland and overgrown with tussock grass. Only a few small parts of forests can still be found, such as in the area around Naseby , in part of the Kakanui Mountains and in the Blue Mountains . The ground is covered by gray-brown to yellow-brownish earth, the geological subsoil consists largely of mica schist . Large areas are used for farming, in which sheep breeding is the main source of income. In 1988 it was estimated that around 2 million sheep were kept in the region.

literature

  • Jon S. Harding, Michael J. Winterbourn : New Zealand ecoregions . a classification for use in stream conservation and management . Ed .: Department of Conservation . Wellington 1997, ISBN 0-478-01944-0 (English).
  • Jon S. Harding : Lotic Ecoregions of New Zealand . Ed .: University of Canterbury . Christchurch 1994 (English, dissertation).

Web links

  • Matt McGlone : Ecoregions - Central Otago . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , July 13, 2012, accessed August 2, 2016 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Matt McGlone : Ecoregions - Nine ecoregions . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , July 13, 2012, accessed August 2, 2016 .
  2. ^ Otago . In: Local Councils . Department of Internal Affairs , accessed August 2, 2016 .
  3. ^ Matt McGlone : Ecoregions - Central Otago ( Map ). In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , July 8, 2013, accessed August 2, 2016 .
  4. ↑ GR Macara : The Climate and Weather of Otago (=  NIWA Science and Technologies Series . Number 67 ). 2nd Edition. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research , 2015, ISSN 1173-0382 (English, online [PDF; 2.7   MB ; accessed on August 2, 2016]).
  5. ^ Matt McGlone : Ecoregions - Central Otago . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , July 13, 2012, accessed August 2, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Harding : Lotic Ecoregions of New Zealand . 1994, p.  37 .