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GEOGRAPHIC REGION NIVAL HIGH-ALPINE COMMUNITIES LOW-ALPINE SNOW TUSSOCK MONTANE-SUBALPINE SNOW TUSSOCK MONTANE-SUBALPINE RED/COPPER TUSSOCK MONTANE-SUBALPINE SHORT TUSSOCK LOWLAND SWARD GRASSLAND TOTAL GRASSLAND
  km2 %R %P km2 %R %P km2 %R %P km2 %R %P km2 %R %P km2 %R %P km2 %R %P km2 %R %P
North Island 5.41 100 100 143.85 100 98 42.92 100 82 325.98 100 72 2,314.46 45 27 4,191.77 1 65 1,616.25 0 - 8,491.38 17 40
South Island western non-rangeland 717.74 100 99 2,664.18 100 82 3,910.79 100 90 2,756.25 100 91 164.13 61 93 72.53 106 7 94.50 0 - 6,998.21 98 89
South Island eastern non-rangeland - - - 0.08 100 100 4.91 100 58 143.10 41 64 7,409.32 1 33 12,103.54 4 1 - - - 19,660.87 3 11
South Island rangeland 515.19 100 94 5,888.39 100 46 6,973.52 96 27 11,978.42 81 12 8,830.66 28 8 19,503.38 42 3 - - - 47,285.97 76 12
TOTAL 1,238.33 100 97 8,696.50 100 58 10,952.14 98 50 15,203.76 84 31 18,718.56 20 16 35,871.22 25 3 1,710.75 0 - 82,436.43 44 28
Table 1: Assumed extent (km2) of the five major indigenous grassland types, and associated high-alpine and nival cover types in 1840, with percentage of each type remaining in 2002 (%R), and the percentage of the latter formally protected (%P), as of September 2002.
Ecological Region Nival High-alpine communities Low-alpine tall snow tussock Montane-subalpine tall snow tussock Montane-subalpine tall red/copper tussock Montane-subalpine short tussock Lowland sward grassland TOTAL
(Tussock & Grassland)
ID   km2 Area (ha) %R %P Area (ha) %R %P Area (ha) %R %P Area (ha) %R %P Area (ha) %R %P Area (ha) %R %P Area (ha) %R Area (ha) %R %P
North Island                                              
15 Western Volcanic Plateau 3,354                               2,527 0 -     2,527 0 -
16 Central Volcanic Plateau 4,898                         354 52 5 208,045 < 1 0     208,399 < 1 4
17 Eastern Volcanic Plateau 3,070                               193,988 2 80     193,988 2 80
18 Tongariro 2,124 541 100 100 12,206 100 100             91,275 39 68 5,057 0 -     96,333 37 68
19 Raukumara 4,474       3 100 0                                  
21 Uruwera 3,117                               707 0 -     707 0 -
23 King Country 4,043                         339 0 -           339 0 -
25 Western Taranaki (Egmont) 2,678       1,143 100 100             758 100 100           758 100 100
26 Moawhango 1,355             18 100 98       109,743 50 1           109,761 50 1
27 Kaimanawa 2,790       886 100 68 2,466 100 68 16,024 100 61 22,921 52 15 8,853 12 5     50,263 63 42
28 Ruahine 1,386       146 100 100 1,808 100 100 11,538 100 82 366 62 0           13,713 99 83
29 Hawkes Bay 4,511                   6 100 100             48,681 0 48,686 < 1 100
30 Rangitikei 4,058                         5,690 1 0           5,690 1 0
31 Manawatu 4,201                                     43,139 0 43,139 0 -
32 Manawatu Gorge 873                   96 100 100                 96 100 100
33 Pahiatua 2,532                                     3,712 0 3,712 0 -
35 Eastern Wairarapa 3,943                                     2,907 0 2,907 0 -
36 Wairarapa Plains 1,323                                     59,711 0 59,711 0 -
38 Tararua 2,410                   4,934 100 89             3,474 0 8,409 59 89
                                                   
  Total 57,141 541 100 100 14,385 100 98 4,292 100 82 32,598 100 72 231,446 45 27 419,177 1 65 161,625 0 849,138 17 40
                                                   
South Island Western non-rangeland                                              
39 Sounds 1,529             13 100 0 0 > 100 0                 13 > 100 0
40 Richmond 2,113       455 100 100 343 100 100 15 100 100       517 0 -     875 41 100
46 North-west Nelson 7,356       3,660 100 100 30,353 98 100 8,057 100 95 10,938 57 100           49,348 89 99
47 Nelson 2,628       1,081 100 100 2,684 100 94 5,373 100 92 2,572 100 89           10,629 100 92
48 North Westland 7,593       25 100 100 11,582 100 100 16,537 100 98 471 100 0           31,550 91 97
49 Spenser 5,276 187 100 1 43,495 100 12 43,279 99 39 38,797 98 78 657 61 0 6,735 115 7 2,959 0 89,468 100 53
50 Central Westland 6,945 29,504 100 100 69,832 100 100 49,343 100 100 21,465 100 100             6,492 0 77,301 92 100
51 Aspiring 6,914 35,426 100 98 85,488 100 90 113,928 100 87 68,206 100 81 992 18 99           183,125 100 85
71 Olivine 1,488 394 100 100 5,445 100 100 9,434 100 100 7,777 100 99                 17,211 100 100
72 Fiord 11,966 6,262 100 100 56,937 100 100 130,120 100 100 109,397 100 99 784 14 98           240,301 100 100
                                                   
  Total 53,808 71,774 100 99 266,418 100 82 391,079 100 90 275,625 100 91 16,413 61 88 7,253 106 7 9,450 0 699,821 98 89
                                                   
South Island Eastern non-rangeland                                              
41 Wairau 1,620                   20 87 0       38,654 14 0     38,674 14 0
45 Kaikoura 496                               7,656 13 0     7,656 13 0
52 Lowry 3,831                               353,425 11 0     353,425 11 0
56 Canterbury Plains 7,878                               622,689 < 1 3     622,689 < 1 3
57 Banks 1,032                   1,959 10 0       17,829 14 11     19,788 13 10
62 Wainono 1,482                               135,228 0 -     135,228 0 -
69 Otago Coast 2,690             443 100 64 9,568 33 49 42,006 2 6 34,872 4 12     86,889 7 35
70 Catlins 3,333                         137,699 2 18           137,699 2 18
75 Gore 2,972                   156 0 - 289,008 1 0           289,163 1 0
77 Te Wae Wae 2,347       8 100 100       621 82 100 39,480 0 -           40,101 1 100
78 Makarewa 3,170                   15 0 - 227,959 < 1 89           227,974 < 1 89
79 Rakiura 1,770             48 100 0 1,973 100 86 4,779 38 82           6,800 56 83
                                                   
  Total 32,619       8 100 100 491 100 58 14,310 41 64 740,932 1 33 1,210,354 4 1     1,966,087 3 11
                                                   
South Island rangeland                                              
42 Inland Marlborough 2,665       23,916 100 0 8,473 95 0 11,187 81 1       3,413 1,112 0     23,073 239 0
43 Molesworth 2,142       32,363 100 4 14,695 89 5 31,963 89 1 13,046 47 1 41,075 70 2     100,778 76 2
44 Clarence 3,117 141 100 0 47,143 100 6 7,011 99 1 44,901 95 4       26,520 358 3     78,433 184 3
53 Hawdon 874 628 100 100 22,493 100 98 12,316 92 100 6,874 74 98       1,919 100 72     21,109 87 96
54 Puketeraki 3,891       51,411 100 43 34,215 79 43 20,253 46 11       207,228 46 6     261,696 50 14
55 Canterbury Foothills 2,068       16 100 10       2,263 91 0 4,163 0 - 159,367 33 2     165,792 33 2
58 D'Archiac 1,653 41,894 100 99 68,333 100 91 11,683 100 89 8,233 100 65                 19,916 100 79
59 Heron 3,741 991 100 89 94,003 100 42 59,084 98 35 75,095 83 9 1,804 87 9 96,378 69 3     232,360 81 15
60 Tasman 1,886 6,034 100 79 80,449 100 62 30,097 100 42 26,926 99 33 47 100 0 8,686 64 12     65,756 95 35
61 Pareora 5,207       3,333 100 0 16,242 100 18 73,988 99 7 954 89 0 385,143 24 0     476,327 38 4
63 Mackenzie 4,928 45 100 0 25,630 100 47 40,341 99 21 65,657 84 9 3,449 73 0 321,236 73 3     430,684 77 6
64 Waitaki 2,591       24,139 100 38 63,767 99 26 108,359 87 12 1,743 66 0 61,071 56 2     234,939 82 15
65 Kakanui 1,908       114 100 19 5,157 98 2 69,414 27 3 5,576 44 0 92,908 1 0     173,055 16 3
66 Lakes 6,189 3,216 100 67 73,555 100 37 152,371 98 27 207,175 87 12       32,850 11 13     392,397 85 18
67 Central Otago 9,611       1,281 100 15 129,458 97 6 217,035 90 1 168,916 62 1 443,804 15 1     959,214 51 2
68 Lammerlaw 4,341             32,224 94 21 43,930 54 6 272,312 28 8 68,739 7 0     417,205 32 10
73 Mavora 4,304 127 100 56 38,396 100 50 55,543 97 42 80,741 83 29 97,548 19 37   > 100 93     233,832 60 35
74 Waikaia 2,569       268 100 46 15,196 95 16 92,680 64 17 111,630 13 6           219,506 40 15
76 Southland Hills 2,813       1,997 100 100 9,477 99 100 11,168 78 99 201,880 12 18           222,525 19 53
                                                   
  Total 66,499 51,519 100 94 588,839 100 46 697,352 96 27 1,197,842 80 12 883,066 28 8 1,950,338 42 3     4,728,597 76 12
                                                   
  TOTAL 210,068 123,833 100 97 869,650 100 58 1,093,214 98 50 1,520,376 84 31 1,871,856 20 16 3,587,121 25 3 171,075 0 8,243,643 44 28
Table 2: Assumed extent (Hectares) of the five major indegenous grassland types, associated high-alpine and nival cover types in 1840, based on each of 60 mainland ecological regions which are assumed to have contained indigenous grassland at the time of European settlement in 1840, the baseline situation. The percentage of each type remaining in 2002 (%R), and the percentage of the latter which is formatlly protected (%P), as of September 2002, are also shown.
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© Department of Botany
The University of Otago, 2004		  
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