Description
How to restore a wetland, and bring benefits to all living beings that inhabit the area.
Samenvatting (Dutch description)
Ō Tū Wharekai (Ashburton Lakes/upper Rangitata River), is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains. The Arawai Käkäriki Wetland Restoration Programme has chosen three wetland sites: Lake Clearwater wetlands, Lambies Stream wetlands, and Maori Lakes wetlands. The vegetation survey, water quality measurements, two different soil colors, and plant foliage of the dominant species were all collected for laboratory analysis. The percentage cover of live vascular plant species was recorded, and the presence or absence of each species of plants was documented as well. Wetland condition and pressure scores were also calculated. The threats to the ecological integrity that has been discovered are vegetation clearing recently, vegetation clearing in the past, increased sediment load from developed land, increased nutrient load from developed land, altered hydrology (drainage), livestock grazing recently (cattle/sheep), invasive flora (willow), and invasive fauna (e.g., predators). The Ashburton Lakes are home to a diverse array of aquatic plants, both native and exotic. According to LakeSPI scores, some lakes are in good condition while others are in poor condition. Maori Lake East was in critical condition because it has extensive benthic algae growth. Weed expansion, particularly by grey willow, potential increased nitrogen and phosphorus loads, and the future risk of water extraction impacts on wetland hydrology were the major threats to the wetlands assessed. Protecting braided river birds through predator control, restoring ecosystems through large-scale weed control, improving water quality in Ashburton lakes and streams, and supervising the status of threatened animal and plant species that rely on the site are allpriorities for conservation efforts in Ō Tū Wharekai.
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Nayara Elis Laub
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• New Zealand
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