Biodiversity
What is Biodiversity?
The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy provides the following definition:
Biological diversity, or “biodiversity” for short, describes the variety of all biological life – plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms - the genes they contain and the ecosystems on land or in water where they live. It is the diversity of life on earth (Department of Conservation and Ministry for the Environment, 2000).
What is the problem?
The 2007 New Zealand State of Environment Report identified the loss of New Zealand’s native biological diversity as our ‘most pervasive environmental issue’. There is no more irreversible environmental effect than extinction of a species, and extinction of some ecosystem types is just as irreversible.
Following are the pressures identified in the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy:
Since humans arrived in New Zealand, the country has experienced one of the highest species extinction rates in the world, due to the loss of habitats and the introduction of pest plants and animals. Today, almost 2,500 native land-based and freshwater species are listed as threatened. The effects of climate change may further exacerbate pressures on our most endangered species. Freshwater biodiversity is affected by surrounding land use and water quality. Invasive freshwater species such as the alga didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) pose risks for freshwater biodiversity.
Common consented activities which can threaten biodiversity
We grant a lot of consents each year that can have adverse effects on biodiversity. Some examples of the main activities that we consent, which can pose a risk to biodiversity are Forestry operations, vegetation clearance, roading projects (particularly in areas of indigenous vegetation), subdivisions in sensitive areas, earthworks near water bodies, stormwater and wastewater discharges to surface water, drainage near wetlands, stopbanks on floodplains, works and structures in small streams, some discharges to land (fertilizer, wastewater, etc) particularly if near surface water, large coastal structures, activities in geothermal areas, placement of fill etc.
What are the implications for FNDC?
The Far North District Council’s Partly Operative District Plan, promotes the concept of voluntary and regulatory mechanism’s of the district’s biodiversity.
The focus is on minimising the impacts on areas of significance such as wetlands, education/information and incentives such as Conservation Covenants and rate relief/postponement. This approach is very much in its early stages and is still being developed.
Useful links
Action Bio-Community: http://www.biocommunity.org.nz/
Page created/updated: 10 December 2008 at 4:41 pm
