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Monitoring condition of frost flat heathlands, a critically threatened rare ecosystem in the Waikato region

TR 2013/56
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Report: TR 2013/56

Author: Mark Smale, Neil B Fitzgerald, Scott Bartlam (Landcare Research)

About this report

A network of permanent plots was established in January–May 2013 for the Waikato Regional Council to establish a baseline for monitoring change in the condition – ‘ecological integrity’ – of the remaining substantial frost flat heathlands, a Critically Endangered Historically Rare ecosystem in the Waikato region.

Read or download the report

Monitoring condition of frost flat heathlands, a critically threatened rare ecosystem in the Waikato region [PDF, 1.3 MB]

Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Background 1
3 Objective 3
4 Methods 3
4.1 Permanent plots 3
4.2 Data analysis 6
5 Results 7
5.1 Diagnostic frost flat species 7
5.2 Forest precursor species 8
5.3 Invasive weeds 9
5.4 Adventive dominance 10
5.5 Ecological integity 10
5.6 Conservation management priorities 11
6 Discussion and conclusions 11
7 Recommendations 14
8 Acknowledgements 14
9 References 15
Appendix 1 Glossary of scientific terms 17
Appendix 2 Flora of frost flat heathland in the Waikato region 18