Ecosystems and Biodiversity

A DigitalNZ Story by National Library Services to Schools

This story explores ecosystems and key biodiversity hotspots in Aotearoa and around the world. It looks at their significance and decline, as well as how to protect them for future generations.

Whatu ngarongaro he tangata

toitū he whenua

People disappear

but the land remains

Image: Scientific investigation

Studying ecosystems and their biodiversity helps us understand the interconnectedness of life on Earth.

Scientific investigation

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

BACKGROUND

Scientists estimate that there are 1.7 million species of plants, animals and fungi known to man. However, it is also thought that there are anywhere between 8 and 100 million species we don't yet know about. 

It is believed that since 1970, biodiversity on Earth has reduced by half and that the loss of species is becoming more rapid. In the film What is biodiversity?, renowned natural historian David Attenborough says:

only when life is at its most varied, vigorous, biodiverse can we hope to thrive.

Our planet's biodiversity provides all the things we need for free, but it will only do so if there's lots of it, and at the moment it's under attack.

Two important reports about ecosystems and biodiversity in Aotearoa have been released by the Government in 2020 which detail the state of biodiversity in New Zealand as well as planned strategies for looking after our ecosystems going forward:

Browse the huge range of Meet the Locals videos produced by the Department of Conservation. Meet the Locals is a series of mini-documentaries about New Zealand's wildlife, wild places and the people working to protect them.  Each four-minute episode showcases the inspiring work of local communities, businesses and individuals, who make a difference to protecting our natural areas, native species and historic places.

The World Wildlife Fund has just released it's Living Planet Report 2020.  This site has the latest information about the health of our planet.  WWF says:

The Living Planet Report 2020 underlines how humanity's increasing destruction of nature is having catastrophic impacts not only on wildlife populations but also on human health and all aspects of our lives.

Packed full of data, the easy to read and beautifully presented Youth Edition - a guide for our future is available to download. It details the causes of the decline in biodiversity worldwide, as well as explaining why this matters, and what we can do to halt the decline.

CONTENTS

  • What is an ecosystem?
  • The significance of biodiversity
  • Biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Causes of the decline of biodiversity
  • Protecting ecosystems & biodiversity through sustainable practices
  • Biodiversity & cultural diversity: the connection
  • Te Ao Mārama - Māori views of the natural world
  • Protected areas in Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Protected areas in the South Pacific
  • Antarctica
  • Rainforests
  • The Coral Triangle
  • Glossary
  • Supporting resources.
Image: Surveying an ecological district

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is tasked with protecting ecosystems and biodiversity throughout Aotearoa.

Surveying an ecological district

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM?

Earth is made up of a vast collection of ecosystems that are interconnected. For example, where a river flows out to the sea, not only do the river and ocean ecosystems intersect, but so do beach, dune and rock pool systems. 

Ecosystems come in all shapes and sizes and in New Zealand include wetlands, estuaries, mountains, lakes, and forests.

Plants, animals and microorganisms can be part of more than one ecosystems, for example, a tree can be seen as an ecosystem on its own as it supports a wide variety of life, but that tree is also part of a forest ecosystem.

Ecosystems have been developing and adapting since the first life on Earth emerged, and they are continuing to develop and adapt today. Because of this, species within ecosystems hold a vast body of 'knowledge' about how to survive.

Everything depends on everything else within an ecosystem. This means that if something changes, an ecosystem becomes unbalanced and many other changes will occur as a result. Things that may change can be the weather (such as more or less rain, or an increase or decrease in temperature), the introduction of a new species, or the removal of a species. 

Most changes that occur in ecosystems result directly or indirectly from human activity.

Throughout history, humans have often settled in, and developed cultural practices around, specific ecosystems. When Māori first settled in Aotearoa for example, they often did so near rivers and coastal areas to enable access to fish and seafood and so they could travel between places with ease using waka.

Image: Gliding Into The Wetland

Wetlands are important ecosystems that support a diverse range of organisms.

Gliding Into The Wetland

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

  • Ecosystems are made up of biotic as well as  abiotic elements, i.e. plants, animals, and microorganisms are biotic, while the physical landscape and weather are abiotic.
  • Ecosystems require energy, which usually, but not always, comes from the sun.  
  • An example of an ecosystem that is supported by an energy source other than the sun are hot vents on the ocean floor, which gather their energy from hydrogen coming up from the earth's core.
  • A collection of ecosystems in a geographical area in which specific species live is called a biome; there is debate among scientist as to how many different types of biomes there are worldwide, however, examples are forest, grassland, freshwater, marine, desert and tundra.
  • Energy moves through ecosystems via food chains; one thing eating another. One species may be part of more than one food chain in an ecosystem.
  • Food webs encompass all the different interconnected food chains within an ecosystem.

 Ecosystems include the following types of biotic and abiotic things:

  • producers - plants that are food for animals
  • consumers - animals (including humans) that eat the producers
  • decomposers - animals or bacteria that break down dead plants and animals
  • inorganic matter - air, water, rocks, soils, metals.
Image: Marine food chain

Marine food chain

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: The impact of lupins

The impact of lupins

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Freshwater food web

Freshwater food web

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BIODIVERSITY 

The biodiversity of an ecosystem can include species of all sizes. In an ocean ecosystem, for example, you would find species of whales, some of the largest creatures on Earth, as well as tiny microorganisms like plankton.

Scientists have discovered that biodiversity is at its greatest in areas closest to the equator where it is warm and wet. Conversely, the parts of Earth with the lowest biodiversity are cold and dry.

Biodiversity is believed to be significant for the following reasons:

  • ecosystems with greater biodiversity are healthier and more likely to survive through difficult times, such as extreme weather
  • biodiversity has an impact on human health as we make use of many plants and animals for different things such as food, shelter and medicine
  • declining biodiversity also affects the social and cultural health of communities, such as the rights of indigenous cultures to continue to gather specific plants and animals
  • humans rely on some animal species to help grow food, for example, insects to pollinate our food crops
  • decreasing biodiversity means we risk losing plants and animals forever through extinction, and this can have effects on ecosystems that we don't know about or can't predict
  • scientific research suggests that decreasing biodiversity makes it more likely that humans will continue to experience epidemics and pandemics.
Image: Promoting beneficial biodiversity

Native habitats bring an economic benefit as well as a social and environmental benefit.

Promoting beneficial biodiversity

Plant & Food Research

QUICK FACTS

  • Biodiversity hot spots around the world include New Caledonia, Wallacea (Indonesian islands), the Ross Sea, the Andes mountains, the coastal forests of East Africa, and the Himalayan region.
  • These areas are places on Earth where more than 70% of the original native species of plants have been lost.
  • Biodiversity hot spots equate to less than 3% of the area of our planet but contain close to 60% of the Earths plant and animal species.
  • Scientists have identified three levels of biodiversity - genetic, species and ecosystem.
  • Genetic diversity is about the genetic makeup of all living things; a variety of genes within a species explains why we have different types of birds for example, and why humans are not all the same.
  • The more genetic diversity within a species, the more likely that species is to adapt and survive.
Image: Tuatara female

The tuatara is one of many species unique to Aotearoa that contribute to the biodiversity of our planet.

Tuatara female

Nga Manu Nature Reserve

Image: Archey's Frog

Our frog species are found nowhere else in the world.

Archey's Frog

iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

BIODIVERSITY IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

Aotearoa has been identified as a biodiversity hot spot because of the large number and variety of unique species that have evolved here, but also sadly because we have lost and are losing many of these species to extinction. 

According to Te Mana o te Taiao - Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020, these are the percentages of plant and animal species found in Aotearoa that are found nowhere else in the world:

  • 100% of reptiles, frogs and bats
  • 88% of freshwater fish
  • 84% of land and freshwater plants
  • 81% of insects
  • 72% of birds
  • 7% of marine mammals

Hear about New Zealand Biodiversity in this video about just some of our amazing and unique animal and bird species.

Watch this awesome Ranger Kōrero video from the Department of Conservation where biodiversity ranger Dave talks about the meaning of biodiversity in Aotearoa and how we all fit into that picture. 

This video, What is biodiversity? clearly explains what biodiversity means from a New Zealand perspective.

Image: Cook Strait giant weta

Cook Strait giant weta

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Powelliphanta annectens

Powelliphanta annectens

iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

Image: Hector’s dolphin

Hector’s dolphin

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

CAUSES OF THE DECLINE OF BIODIVERSITY

The decline of biodiversity worldwide is believed to be the result of a combination of the following human activities:

  • deforestation - the removal of forest ecosystems to cater for growing populations, including turning land into farmland and using it for housing, commercial buildings and industrial processes
  • poaching & hunting (illegal wildlife trade) - the hunting of wild animals for food, the capture of wild animals for pets, and the hunting of animals for body parts, e.g. rhino horn
  • pollution - air, land, water, noise and ocean pollution of all kinds, including those that contribute to climate change, have wide-ranging adverse effects on biodiversity
  • introduction of non-native species - when new species are introduced by humans into an ecosystem and compete for space and food. These species can sometimes thrive in new environments and become invasive, e.g. wilding pine
  • Deep sea mining operations.
Image: Pollution

Pollution from industry is a significant factor in the decline of biodiversity worldwide.

Pollution

National Library of New Zealand

QUICK FACTS

  • The National Geographic says that "Between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers) of forest according to the World Bank—an area larger than South Africa."
  • At least 80% of the world's species of land-based plants and animals live in forests.
  • Some of the animal species at risk of extinction from the illegal animal trade are elephants, rhinos, tigers, sea turtles, lemurs and gorillas.
  • New Zealand has not been exempt from the illegal wildlife trade; people have tried to smuggle our unique species of reptiles out of the country, including the Jewelled Gecko.
  • Toxic chemicals are pollutants that have particularly widespread effects on biodiversity as they not only pollute land and water, but are absorbed by plants and animals as well, and can be passed through the food chain.
  • Three groups of chemicals have been identified as the most harmful; those that stay in the environment for long periods and build up in the bodies of animals and humans, those that harm the hormones of animals, plants and humans, and those that are known to cause cancers and damage DNA.
  • Scientists estimate that between 5,000 and 10,000 different species of plants and animals are being carried around the world on any one day in the ballast tanks of ships.
  • In Aotearoa there are many examples of introduced species that have had dramatic effects on biodiversity; examples of land-based animal species alone include rats, possums, rabbits, ferrets, stoats, weasels and deer.
  • In our oceans, biodiversity is threatened by species such as the Mediterranean Fan Worm, the Asian Paddle Crab and Japanese Kelp.
Image: Jewelled Gecko

Jewelled Gecko

iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

Image: Deforestation

Deforestation

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

PROTECTING ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY THROUGH SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Humans have always had an impact on the environment, affecting ecosystems and biodiversity. However, the scale of our impact is growing at a faster rate than ever before. Changing the way we interact with our environment and its resources by adopting sustainable practices is one way we can reduce, or even reverse some of that impact. 

Acting sustainably means taking care of resources and using them in a way that ensures they will still be available for future generations. Sustainable practices protect ecosystems, support biodiversity and make a difference to human health as well.

The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) says:

".. we are currently using 25% more natural resources than the planet can sustain. As a result species, habitats and local communities are under pressure or direct threats (for example from loss of access to fresh water)."

Sustainability can be practised by everyone at home, at school, in communities, throughout New Zealand, and around the world. 

Image: Benefits of fencing waterways

Sustainable farming practices help protect soils and waterways.

Benefits of fencing waterways

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

Here are some examples of ways we can act sustainably to protect ecosystems and biodiversity:

  • farmers throughout Aotearoa are planting around and fencing off waterways to reduce the amount of run-off into streams, rivers and the ocean
  • the forestry industry can act sustainably by replanting trees and by logging in ways that don't damage entire forests
  • reducing the use of fossil fuels by using cleaner energy forms such as electricity generated from renewal energy sources is another way to act sustainably, as is walking or riding a bike instead of using a car
  • many eco-tourism ventures, which make money from observing and protecting nature rather than harvesting it, have emerged in Aotearoa
  • finding ways to reduce energy use in the home makes a difference, e.g. making sure you turn off lights when not in use, as well as using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, and minimising food waste
  • commercial fishers need to make sure they use sustainable fishing practices, keep to their quotas, and stay within legal fishing areas
  • recreational fishing has an impact on fish stocks too, so making sure we stick to the size and catch limits for each species is important.
Image: Electric car charging area

Electric car charging area

Christchurch City Libraries

Image: Encountering seabirds

Encountering seabirds

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: ‘Forest sinks’

‘Forest sinks’

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

BIODIVERSITY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY — THE CONNECTION

Cultures around the globe have different and often unique ways of seeing the world - this is known as 'world view'. Indigenous cultures tend to see themselves as part of the natural world, whilst industrialised cultures that no longer live in a way that means they are directly dependent on the natural world, tend to see themselves as separate from it. This can mean industrialised cultures have less understanding of the impact of their actions on ecosystems and biodiversity.

For indigenous cultures, their long and sometimes sustained history of connection to the natural world brings with it an understanding of the importance of working with nature, as well as a vast body of knowledge about how best to do that. The significance of this knowledge and the benefits it can provide for the health of our planet, including our own health, are slowing becoming recognised. 

Preserving and strengthening cultural diversity preserves and strengthens biodiversity.

In 2010 UNESCO and the Convention on Biological Diversity held a conference focused on the strong connections between biodiversity and cultural diversity. They believe that these two things are linked through:

  • language
  • material culture
  • local, traditional, indigenous knowledge, technology and innovation
  • subsistence practices
  • social and economic relationships
  • belief systems
  • values
Image: Māori language class

Language is the way in which we share and preserve information and knowledge about the world around us.

Māori language class

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

  • Preserving language and the linguistic variation within languages is vital to accessing the body of knowledge about the natural world held by indigenous cultures. 
  • Material culture is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as "... tools, weapons, utensils, machines, ornaments, art, buildings, monuments, written records, religious images, clothing, and any other ponderable objects produced or used by humans."
  • An example of the value of indigenous knowledge would be understanding things like the best time and place to plant and gather food, how much to take, and what to take, in a way that ensures that food source will be available in the future.
  • Through subsistence practices, cultures have developed flexible and sustainable ways of managing ecosystems and biodiversity that are based heavily on local knowledge.
  • There are many examples of the development of social and economic relationships between groups based on the trade of resources; examples from pre-European contact include the trade in pounamu in Aotearoa, and the complex Tonga, Fiji, Samoa trade in items such as mats, shells, feathers and tabua (whale teeth).
  • Special places, known as wāhi tapu or wāhi tūpuna to Māori, are areas where people have strong connections to the environment, its landscape, plants and/or animals.
Image: Chinese garden

Chinese garden

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: India Series: Indian Dancer

India Series: Indian Dancer

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Hanging tivaevae

Hanging tivaevae

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

TE AO MĀRAMA: MĀORI VIEWS OF THE NATURAL WORLD

Māori consider themselves to be part of the natural world through decent from Papatūānuku (Earth Mother). This sacred relationship, based on the belief that everything in the world is interconnected, was and is highly valued and expressed through kaitiakitanga.  

Traditionally there are whakapapa for all life forms, and connection to these and the whenua were strong. As a result, the use of natural resources was controlled, usually under the guidance of tohunga. Karakia were used to secure the consent of atua to undertake activities, for example, gathering kai. Rahui were placed on environments or resources if needed, and there were consequences for ignoring these. This is a practice that continues today.

There are many examples of Mātauranga Māori that demonstrate the importance that was placed on conservation, sustainability and taking care of ecosystems so that resources were available for future generations. This was not always the case however, an example being the moa, which was hunted to extinction prior to the arrival of Europeans. 

Through use of the maramataka, Māori observed specific times for such things as the planting of crops and fishing.

Creation narratives or traditional stories (often called myths and legends) provide an accessible way to learn about Māori views of the natural world.  

Image: Papatūānuku

For Māori, all living things are descended from Papatūānuku, or Earth Mother.

Papatūānuku

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

Some of the atua that are connected to te taiao (the natural world) are listed below. Follow the links to Te Ara to find out more information about how Māori viewed the relationship between these gods and the environment:

Image: Rāhui sign

Rāhui sign

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Collecting shellfish

Collecting shellfish

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Gods of the natural world

Gods of the natural world

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

PROTECTED AREAS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

Years of research has provided a vast body of evidence to show that creating protected areas has many positive benefits for ecosystems and biodiversity.

Aotearoa's protected areas cover almost one third of our land area and include national parks, conservation parks, nature reserves, scientific reserves, scenic reserves, historic reserves and recreational reserves. 

Our marine areas are protected through marine reserves and marine mammal sanctuaries, and our fresh waterways through water conservation orders. 

These areas are administered by the Department of Conservation or DOC.

UNESCO is responsible for designating areas worldwide as World Heritage Sites. Aotearoa has three:

Image: Marine reserves

Marine Reserves are crucial for the study of marine ecosystems as well as boosting the biodiversity within our oceans.

Marine reserves

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

  • Tongariro was New Zealand's first National Park, established in 1894, and made possible by the gifting of land by the rangatira Horonuku Te Heuheu in 1887.
  • All but 3 of New Zealand's 13 National Parks are in the South Island and Stewart Island and in total, our National Parks make up approximately 32% of the land area of Aotearoa.
  • Our largest park by area is the Fiordland National park at 1,260,288 hectares, and the Abel Tasman National Park is the smallest at 23,703 hectares. 
  • Aotearoa has 44 Marine Reserves that constitute 9.8% of our 12 nautical mile territorial limit; a far smaller proportion of protected area than that on land.
  • 96.5% of our marine protected area is made up of the offshore islands of the Kermadec and Subantarctic groups.
  • We have 8 marine mammal sanctuaries, 5 of which protect Hector and Maui dolphins, the remaining 3 are aimed at protecting whale, sea lion and fur seal populations.
  • In protected areas in New Zealand people are not permitted to remove anything, including plants, animals, water or soil; they are known as 'no-take' zones.
  • Alaska has 7 of the 10 largest national parks in the world, including the very largest, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
  • The world's largest marine reserve was established in 2006 in the Ross Sea off Antarctica.
Image: Red Crater, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

Red Crater, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Kermadec Islands map

Kermadec Islands map

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

PROTECTED AREAS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

There are protected areas across the South Pacific as well. While the most significant are marine areas, some nations have protected terrestrial areas as well.

These areas are home to highly biodiverse ecosystems of many different kinds.  They have been created to protect at-risk land and marine species as well as to support sustainable development, including indigenous practices such as fishing.

Significant protected areas are:

QUICK FACTS 

  • One of the species protected by the National Park of the Coral Sea is the dugong, a plant-eating marine mammal.
  • Marae Moana is the second largest Marine Park in the world, after that in the Ross Sea in Antarctica.
  • The planet's largest coral archipelago ecosystems and 14 seamounts are protected by the Phoenix Islands Protected Area.
  • Beveridge Reef is vital to the health of the communities of Niue and it's biodiverse ecosystems have been protected in 2020 by the Moana Mahu marine protected area.
  • Kirimati Island (Christmas Island) - was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1975 and is the largest island formed exclusively from coral in the world. 

ANTARCTICA

Antarctica in the Southern Ocean is unique in the world because it is not owned by one single country. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 and allowed the 12 countries who agreed to the Treaty, including New Zealand, to have a say in the governance of Antarctica. The Treaty states that the area will be free of military activity, and will be a place that encourages and exchanges scientific research.

New Zealand has a permanent base on Antarctica called Scott Base. From here, Antarctica New Zealand is responsible for all our activities in this area.

The Antarctic continent and its surrounding seas have been recognised as an area of unique ecosystems and incredible biodiversity relatively untouched by human activity. As a result, many countries undertake research there that is helping us to understand much about our interconnected world.

Image: Antarctic Aquatic Ecosystems Researchers

Research undertaken in Antarctica is revealing useful information about how its health effects the rest of our planet.

Antarctic Aquatic Ecosystems Researchers

Antarctica New Zealand

QUICK FACTS

  • The Ross Sea is vital for scientific research as it has been identified as a biodiversity hot spot; it is one of the last open-ocean continental shelf ecosystems on our planet that human activities have not substantially changed or damaged.
  • A focus of research on the Antarctic continent is the impact of climate change on it's ecosystems and how this might effect the rest of the planet.
  • The marine ecosystems around the Antarctic continent are dependent on plankton, microscopic organisms which can be either plants, animals or bacteria.
  • Despite being the driest, windiest and coldest place on our planet, terrestrial Antarctica does support ecosystems comprised of tiny plants and animals.
  • Lichens, a type of plant, have adapted to photosynthesize with very little sunlight, and can lie dormant for long periods.
  • Some invertebrates have adapted to these conditions by learning to dehydrate so that the moisture in their bodies does not freeze.
Image: Antarctica

Antarctica

Antarctica New Zealand

Image: Weather Research

Weather Research

Antarctica New Zealand

Image: Plant Researchers

Plant Researchers

Antarctica New Zealand

RAINFORESTS

Rainforests are found everywhere on Earth except Antarctica. New Zealand's rainforests are in both the North and South Island and are temperate rainforests. Rainforests are the world's oldest ecosystems, with some estimated to have existed unchanged for 70 million years.

Tropical rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, the best known being the forests around the Amazon river in the continent of South America and those that border the Congo river in Africa. The biodiversity of tropical rainforests is very dense, i.e. they contain more than half of the world's known plant and animal species on only 6% of the planet's land area. Tropical rainforests are very warm, wet environments.

Scientists have determined that rainforests are ecosystems that are particularly important for the health of our planet. The greatest threat to rainforests is deforestation. It is estimated that approximately 17% of the rainforest surrounding the Amazon river has been destroyed in the last 50 years. 

Deforestation is occurring because of the following human activities:

  • logging
  • farming
  • grazing
  • mining
  • building homes.
Image: Favolaschia calocera

Rainforests around the world are some of the most diverse and important ecosystems on our planet.

Favolaschia calocera

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

Rainforests are valuable ecosystems because:

  • they produce, filter and store water - the Amazon basin stores 1/5 of the world's fresh water 
  • the plants and trees help combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and radiation from the sun
  • these forest produce 20% of the planet's oxygen
  • plants found here are used to make medicines to treat diseases in humans
  • scientists are still discovering plant and animals species that add to the richness of life on our planet as well as our understanding of it
  • many indigenous cultures depend on these forests for their survival - an estimated 25 million people worldwide.
Image: Amazon rainforest

Amazon rainforest

National Library of New Zealand

Image: Rainforest

Rainforest

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Cavern in tropical rainforest, Niue

Cavern in tropical rainforest, Niue

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

THE CORAL TRIANGLE

Because of the huge biodiversity within the area known as the Coral Triangle, it has been dubbed 'the Amazon of the ocean'. This area encompasses the waters around Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. Within this area there are many different coral ecosystems.

The waters of the Coral Triangle are nurseries for numerous species of fish and marine mammals.

In order to protect and restore ecosystems and encourage biodiversity, several islands in Papua New Guinea have reintroduced the customary practice of gwala. The equivalent in Aotearoa is rahui. 

Here you will find a video about this, Gwala Rising: Pacific Islanders Defend their Reefs

Image: Indonesia

The 'Coral Triangle' in South East Asia is home to over 600 different species of coral and is a biodiversity hot spot.

Indonesia

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

QUICK FACTS

The Coral Triangle is home to:

  • 76% of the world's species of coral
  • 6 of the 7 marine turtle species worldwide
  • 37% of the coral reef fish in our oceans
  • 130 million people, who rely heavily on the ocean and it's reefs.

The health of the ecosystems and biodiversity in this area are threatened by:

  • unsustainable fishing practices
  • illegal fishing practices
  • climate change, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification and warming of the ocean
  • plastic pollution
  • human population growth.
Image: Yellow-fin tuna

Yellow-fin tuna

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Letepsammia formosissima

Letepsammia formosissima

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Image: Whale shark

Whale shark

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

BIODIVERSITY

About biodiversity — there are at least 45 distinct ecosystem types in the Wellington region. These include various types of forest, sandy beaches and dune systems, rocky beaches, wetlands, alpine tussock lands, estuaries and many more. 

Biodiversity — the term biodiversity is often used to measure the richness of life based on its variety and inter-connectedness. 

Biodiversity — a collection of resources from Science Learning Hub.

Indigenous peoples defend Earth's biodiversity  — comprising less than 5% of the world's population, indigenous people protect 80% of global biodiversity.

Learning to protect biodiversity — UNESCO video showing how to address biodiversity through Education for Sustainable Development and mobilise teachers, students, researchers and decision-makers to reflect on biodiversity issues and their interdependence with global sustainable development issues.  

Native plants and animals — the extreme and the unusual abound in New Zealand’s flora and fauna, a high proportion of which are found nowhere else in the world. 

New Zealand Biodiversity Action Plan — the Action Plan outlines the contribution that New Zealand will make toward stemming global loss of biodiversity over the next 4 years. 

OneZoom Tree of Life — an interactive map of the evolutionary links between all living things. Discover your favourites, see which species are under threat, and be amazed by the diversity of life on earth. 

The Battle for Biodiversity — OECD film - we are destroying the natural resources, wildlife and habitats that we depend upon for survival at a devastating pace.  

The Convention on Biological Diversity — New Zealand is a member of the convention which recognises that biological diversity is also about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live.

Why Should Humans Care about Preserving the Diversity of Life on Earth? — this animation from the Smithsonian explains that humans don’t just impact the interconnected web of life—we depend on it.

What is biodiversity? — a 3 min film by the WWF narrated by David Attenborough.

What is biodiversity? — biodiversity is the extraordinary variety of life on Earth, from genes and species to ecosystems and the valuable functions they perform. 

What is biodiversity and why does it matter? — the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat all rely on biodiversity, but right now it is in crisis – because of us.

Why is biodiversity so important — TED-Ed video - our planet’s diverse, thriving ecosystems may seem like permanent fixtures, but they’re actually vulnerable to collapse. 

Young Ocean Explorers — resources about a range of Aotearoa's ecosystems, including amazing videos and great activities.

ECOSYSTEMS

Butterflies and moths: Habitat and ecological roles — for an ecosystem to sustain a butterfly or moth species, it must provide the exact requirements for all stages of its life history.

Dune lands — many remaining dunes are being protected and planted with native sand-binding species. 

Geothermal Ecosystems  — have you ever wondered what lives in New Zealand's geothermal environments? These hot, steamy, smelly, muddy areas with their unusual chemistry are actually teeming with life. Some really do like it hot!

Grasslands — people are trying to conserve most of the remaining grasslands for their ecological value and beauty. 

Ecosystems — a collection of resources from Science Learning Hub.

Estuaries — a fascinating ecosystem has evolved in the mud flats of New Zealand’s 300 estuaries. 

Kauri forests — remaining patches of kauri forest are being carefully protected, and the forest is being restored. 

Life in fresh water — freshwater habitats seethe with life, from tiny algae to 2-metre eels, and each species is vital to the ecosystem. 

Marine conservation — it was not until the 1970s that people acknowledged the fragility of the marine environment and its fish, birds and mammals.  

Naturally Uncommon Ecosystems — to date, 72 types of naturally uncommon ecosystems have been identified as occurring in New Zealand.  

Protected areas — more than 10,000 protected areas cover almost a third of our country, safeguarding stunning scenery, important ecosystems, and places of historic and scientific value. 

Sea floor — very few people have explored the sea floor – a mysterious world with canyons, trenches, seamounts and hydrothermal vents.

Weeds in agriculture: Weeds in water and in ecosystems — weeds seriously threaten New Zealand’s native species, ecosystems and conservation lands. 

Wetlands — home to many land birds and rare species, wetlands are vital for sustaining healthy waterways.  

Wetlands — dismissed as worthless, pestilent places, wetlands—where the water table is at or near the Earth’s surface—are anything but.

Image: Zones of a rocky shore

Zones of a rocky shore

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

GLOSSARY

Definitions below taken from the Oxford Learner's Dictionary and Te Aka.

abiotic — not involving biology or living things.

ballast — heavy material placed in a ship or hot-air balloon to make it heavier and keep it steady.

biome — the characteristic plants and animals that exist in a particular type of environment, for example in a forest or desert.

biotic — of or related to living things.

deforestation — the act of cutting down or burning the trees in an area.

dehydrate — to lose too much water from your body; to make a person’s body lose too much water. 

DNA — the chemical in the cells of animals and plants that carries genetic information and is a type of nucleic acid (the abbreviation for ‘deoxyribonucleic acid’). 

dormant — not active or growing now but able to become active or to grow in the future. 

equator — an imaginary line around the earth at an equal distance from the North and South Poles. 

genetic — connected with genes (= the units in the cells of a living thing that control its physical characteristics) or genetics (= the study of genes).

geographical — connected with the way in which the physical features of a place are arranged.

hormones — a chemical substance produced in the body or in a plant that encourages growth or influences how the cells and tissues function; an artificial substance that has similar effects. 

indigenous — belonging to a particular place rather than coming to it from somewhere else. 

invasive — (especially of diseases within the body) spreading very quickly and difficult to stop.

invertebrate — any animal with no backbone, for example a worm

linguistic — connected with language or the scientific study of language.

microorganism — a very small living thing that you can only see under a microscope.

photosynthesize — (of plants) to make food by means of photosynthesis

subsistence — the state of having just enough money or food to stay alive. 

sustained — continuing for a period of time without becoming less.

terrestrial — (of animals and plants) living on the land or on the ground, rather than in water, in trees or in the air. 

TE REO MĀORI

atua — ancestor with continuing influence, god, demon, supernatural being, deity, ghost, object of superstitious regard, strange being.  

kaitiakitanga — guardianship, stewardship, trusteeship, trustee. 

karakia — incantation, ritual chant, chant, intoned incantation, charm, spell - a set form of words to state or make effective a ritual activity. 

maramataka — almanac, Māori lunar calendar, calendar - a planting and fishing monthly almanac. 

mātauranga — knowledge, wisdom, understanding, skill - sometimes used in the plural. 

pounamu — greenstone, nephrite, jade. 

rahui — to put in place a temporary ritual prohibition, closed season, ban, reserve.

rākau —  tree, stick, timber, wood, spar, mast, plant.

tohunga — skilled person, chosen expert, priest, healer - a person chosen by the agent of an atua and the tribe as a leader in a particular field because of signs indicating talent for a particular vocation.  

wāhi tapu — sacred place, sacred site - a place subject to long-term ritual restrictions on access or use, e.g. a burial ground, a battle site or a place where tapu objects were placed. 

waka — canoe, vehicle, conveyance, spirit medium, medium (of an atua).

whenua — land - often used in the plural. 

Image: River / Road An Ecological Journey,

River / Road An Ecological Journey,

Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato

Image: River / Road An Ecological Journey,

River / Road An Ecological Journey,

Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato

Image: River / Road An Ecological Journey,

River / Road An Ecological Journey,

Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato

Image: Gliophorus lilacipes

Gliophorus lilacipes

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Phellodon sinclairii ~ A toothed bracket fungus

Phellodon sinclairii ~ A toothed bracket fungus

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Mycena ura

Mycena ura

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Gliophorus sulfureus

Gliophorus sulfureus

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Entoloma hochstetteri

Entoloma hochstetteri

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Hygrocybe species

Hygrocybe species

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

This story was curated and compiled by Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa | National Library of New Zealand, Services to Schools staff, June 2020.