Paparoa Pest Control Programme
Threatened species are being protected in the Paparoa Pest Control Programme.
Paparoa National Park forests
These forests within Paparoa National Park are some of the largest remaining warm, lowland coastal forests in New Zealand. The Paparoa area has long been recognised as having some of the best forest bird populations in the country because of the diversity of the forest and connectivity between the mountains and the sea.
The forest communities growoing on karst (limestone) and especially the free draining talus slopes are particularly rich with a diversity of species.
What are we protecting?
The area is home to threatened species such as great spotted kiwi, kaka, long-tailed bats and whio along with more common forest birds like bellbird, tui, South Island Robin and fantail.
The goal of pest control here is to maintain and enhance this northern rata dominant lowland forest as a healthy functioning ecosystem by reducing the impacts of possum browse.
What are the threats?
Possums affect the health of the Paparoa forests by selectively browsing on favoured palatable plant species. Northern rata, kamahi and totara have suffered severe possum damage in the past and many have died. Fruiting trees such as fuchsia and wineberry are also killed by repeated browsing of possums.
Possums also impact on birdlife by competing for food, both plant and invertebrates, and by predation of eggs and young. Rats and stoats are also present in Paparoa National Park with populations fluctuating depending on food resources. These predators also predate on native birds and other forest fauna.
How do we protect this area?
A mixture of control methods are used here. Ground methods of trapping, and pesticides in bait stations are used in sensitive areas such as water catchments, roads, tracks and in buffers with private land. Aerial distribution of 1080 is the preferred method for the majority of the treatment area, this method is particularily important in areas like this which are difficult to access. The land here presents great hazards for people doing pest control work as it is "karst country", containing often unseen holes and chasms, as well as having very steep sided gorges and bluffs.
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