Serpentine Flat

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Serpentine Flat refers to a 38 km² large wetland of the upper part Taieri River in the central land of Otago on the South Island of New Zealand .

geography

The wetlands of the Serpentine Flat are located 540 m above sea level northwest of the Lammermoor Range and extend over a length of 10 km, with a width of 3 to 5 km. The wetlands got their name because of the strong meandering of the Taieri River in this section.

history

The area was visited by gold prospectors during the gold rush in Otago (1861–1863) and was sparsely populated. Witness to this past is the Serpentine Union Church , an old stone church that opened in the winter of 1873 and later served as a cottage for miners after it was no longer in use . Built at 930m, it was once New Zealand's tallest church and is now back on the country's list of historic buildings.

nature and landscape

The area's climate is described as subcontinental with very warm summers and cold winters. The average rainfall of only 400–800 mm per year does not affect the wetlands, as the water flows slowly through the meanders of the river and can be well distributed in the plain.

The wetlands of the Serpentine Flat are predominantly overgrown by tussock , which can be found there in different heights and species. There are plenty of insects to be found there. With the exception of birds, there are no larger animals . The black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus), the double-banded plover (Charadriidae bicinctus), the South Island oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi), the Maori gull (Laridae bullerie) and the Maori falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) should be mentioned here.

use

The wetlands with the Taieri River are popular for fishing.

environmental issues

The strain on the landscape from the mining of gold and quartz has largely disappeared into this century. Only the farm economy affects this natural area. This is why the 1996 Otago Regional Water Plan classified the Serpentine Flat wetlands as irreplaceable and worthy of protection.

literature

  • Taieri and Southern Rivers Program , Department of Zoology - University of Otago , Dunedin, Fifth Annual Report - 1998.
  • W. Mary McEwen, Ecological Regions and Districts of New Zealand , Department of Conservation, Wellington, June 1987.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Jump up ↑ Colin Townsend , Southern Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity , University of Otago , Zoology Department, Dunedin, 1998.

Coordinates: 45 ° 27 ′ 28 ″  S , 169 ° 50 ′ 39 ″  E