Conservation in New Zealand

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The nature reserve in New Zealand has over 10,000 protected areas, covering an area of almost one third of New Zealand's cover and 44  marine protected areas , includes a high priority in the country. The Tongario National Park , which came into being by law in October 1894, was the first of its kind in New Zealand and the fourth national park in the world.

history

After a dispute among some Māori tribes regarding land rights in the Taupo region and the approval of the Taupo-nui-a-Tia area to the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe , their chief Horonuku Te Heuheu Tukino IV gave the sacred land of the Māori in September 1887 , the volcanoes in the middle of the North Island , the British Crown, in the hope that it will protect the country. The area covered an area of ​​2640  hectares and, from the government's point of view, was too small to be able to designate a protected area for it. The government bought the surrounding land in the 1890s and was able to designate an area of ​​around 25,000 hectares as a national park in October 1894 with the Tongariro National Park Act , which was the beginning of landscape and nature conservation in New Zealand.

With the acts of the Conservation Act 1987 , the National Parks Act 1980 , the Reserves Act 1977 , the Wildlife Act 1953 , the Marine Reserves Act 1971, and the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1979 , New Zealand has created a number of important pieces of legislation that help designate To be able to protect land and defined sea areas accordingly. The task of implementing nature conservation was entrusted to the Department of Conservation , founded with the Conservation Act 1987 , which has since been active at 70 locations in the country and reports to the Minister of Conservation .

Protected areas

There are around 60 different types of protected areas in New Zealand. The categories formed differ in the assessment of the type of nature conservation and the possibility of making the protected areas available to the public for recreational purposes. The most important areas for nature conservation are classified according to the following categories:

differentiated and others assigned to the other protected areas, of which there are over 7000 and are classified in smaller protected area classes.

National parks

As of 2020, New Zealand has a total of 14  national parks , five of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites . National parks in New Zealand are usually large contiguous areas that are of considerable national importance and, with simultaneous public use, are designated with the highest protection status.

Conservation parks

The protection status of the Conservation Parks is similar to that of the National Parks. As a rule, they have areas in the order of 50,000 to 150,000 hectares and in some cases do not consist of contiguous areas. The conservation parks that have the designation in their name and were designated in higher mountain regions from the early 2000s also include the areas designated as forest parks , although the assignment and designation is not clearly handled here, even on maps. There is a stricter separation between conservation parks and forest parks on maps . The focus here is on the protection of water and the soil as well as use by the public under certain conditions.

The Conservation Park are among the tourists not as popular as the national parks. The hiking trails are less developed and the huts for overnight stays are of a lower standard.

Nature Reserves

Nature reserves are generally smaller than the aforementioned areas, mostly between 100 and 1000 hectares. They have the highest protection status for plants and animals, with an extremely restrictive managed access for the public. Access here is only possible with staff from the Department of Conservation .

Scientific Reserves

Scientific Reserves are areas between 10 and 100 hectares in size. They protect ecological plant or animal communities, soils and land forms and are available for scientific studies and educational purposes. They are similar to nature reserves, but are often used for intensive research or educational programs. Many have access restrictions and permit systems.

Scenic Reserves

The Scenic Reserves are New Zealand's most common and probably the most widespread protected areas. They are equivalent to landscape protection areas, vary in size from less than 100 to over 1000 hectares and are often requested by municipalities who want to preserve part of the original vegetation in an otherwise changed landscape.

Historic Reserves

Historic Reserves are designated for areas or locations that appear to be valuable from a historical point of view. Here, historical, archaeological, cultural and educational aspects are in the foreground when identifying them. The areas are usually small and between 1 and 10 hectares in size.

Protection status

Plants and animals and the measures to be taken to protect them are classified by the Department of Conservation in New Zealand according to the following criteria:

Species is extinct
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Population is the strongest and most directly threatened with extinction
 
 
Species is endangered
 
 
 Population is threatened with extinction in the short term
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Population is threatened with extinction in the medium term
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Population is decreasing but is still widespread
 
 
Kind is in danger
 
 
 small population, but increasing again after the previous decline
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 small population, but stabilizes after decline
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Population naturally small and therefore susceptible to harmful influences
 
Species is not threatened
 
 
 
 

literature

  • Steven Oliver : Te Hay Tukino IV, Horonuku . In: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Volume II . Bridget Williams Books , Wellington 1993 ( online [accessed February 6, 2020]).
  • Department of Conservation (Ed.): Tongariro National Park Management Plan . October 2006, ISSN  0111-5804 (English, online [PDF; 6.1 MB ; accessed on February 6, 2020]).

Web links

  • Les Molloy : Protected areas . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 1, 2015, accessed on February 6, 2020 (English, and the following nine pages).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Les Molloy : Protected areas . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 1, 2015, accessed February 6, 2020 .
  2. ^ Tongariro National Park Management Plan . 2006, p.  19, 21 .
  3. ↑ Oliver : Te Heuheu Tukino IV, Horonuku . In: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . 1993.
  4. ^ Tongariro National Park Management Plan . 2006, p.  21 .
  5. ^ DOC Offices . Department of Conservation , accessed February 6, 2020 .
  6. ^ Minister of Conservation . Department of Conservation , accessed February 6, 2020 .
  7. ^ Les Molloy : New Zealand's protected areas . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 1, 2015, accessed February 6, 2020 .
  8. ^ Les Molloy : National Parks . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 1, 2015, accessed February 6, 2020 .
  9. ↑ a b c d Les Molloy : Conservation Parks, nature and scientific reserves . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 1, 2015, accessed February 6, 2020 .
  10. ^ A b Les Molloy : Scenic, historic, recreation and other reserves . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 1, 2015, accessed February 6, 2020 .
  11. ^ Conservation status of plants and animals . Department of Conservation , accessed February 7, 2020 .