NZFM has carried out a number of fauna surveys to identify the indigenous species present within the certified forests.

Blue Duck in Lake Taupo Forest

A Whio Protection Project has been established on the Waimarino River. This project was originally supported by the CNI Blue Duck Chartiable Trust, the Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Fund, and Waikato Regional Council’s Environmental Initiative Fund.

The project involves intensive predator control along the banks of the river during the breeding and nesting season for Whio (September – February) and an annual population survey. In total, 16 km of the riverbank is controlled using trap lines.

The number of breeding pairs on the river has fluctuated each year of the project. The results from the 2022/23 season are unable to be quantified due to this area of the Lake Taupo Forest being affected by significant wind damage during Cyclone Gabrielle which meant access to the river to complete the final population assessments was not possible.

Initial surveys and observations from early in the season identified 13 pairs on the river, with some pairs having young ducklings. While the population, density and productivity of Whio on the Waimarino River has increased throughout the life of the project, the 2023/24 survey will provide the next opportunity to gather conclusive information on the number of individual Whio inhabiting the river.

A mean result of 0.92 target animals per 100 traps nights during the first three months of the 2022/23 season is a positive and compares favorably to most trapping projects on a national scale, where one target animal per 100 trap nights is considered ‘typical’.

Kiwi in Rotoaira Forest

The results of kiwi surveys completed within Lake Taupo and Rotoaira Forest indicate that kiwi may be present within the vicinity of the sites surveyed but are generally inhabiting the adjacent indigenous forest. Kiwi have not been conclusively recorded within the plantation estate but could be present at some locations. For these reasons, NZFM is committed to undertake pre-harvest kiwi surveys in areas of the forests that it manages where we are aware that kiwi may be present, or present nearby.  

The NZ Forest Industry has developed guidelines with ‘Kiwis for Kiwi’ for the management of kiwi in plantation forests.

Fish in Rotoaira Forest

Fish surveys completed in Rotoaira Forest resulted in the addition of the following species to the total fauna inventory for the forest : Koaro Galaxias brevipinnis, Rainbow Trout Salmo gairdnerii, Koura Paranephrops spp, and Common Bully Gobiomorphus cotidianus.

One of these species, the koaro, has a high conservation value worthy of habitat protection. The survey recommended that the existing riparian management policy be maintained. It was also recommended that the current amount and condition of riparian stream protection is more than sufficient to provide refuge habitat but needs to be maintained on all streams.

Pittosporum turnerii

A population of the rare native plant Pittosporum turnerii is present within Rotoaira Forest. NZFM has an active management plan in place for this population. The plan includes a 10-year time-line outlining tasks for effective management, such as possum browse monitoring and predator control. The conservation outcome of the plan is to allow Pittosporum turnerii to remain healthy and continue to flower and produce seed.

Bats in Lake Taupo and Rotoaira Forests

ABM’s (Automatic Bat Monitors) are used to survey for the presence of native bats within Lake Taupo and Rotoaira Forests every 5 years. Both short-tail and long-tail bats have been observed within Lake Taupo and Rotoaira Forests.

The results of the surveys to date support the recommendation that retention and protection of all natural areas, particularly old growth native forest, riparian margins and wetland areas, is vital to the conservation of threatened endemic bat species in Lake Taupo and Rotoaira Forests.

Dactylanthus taylorii

A population of Dacylanthus taylorii exists in Rotoaira Forest. The objective of management is to conserve the population. Dactylanthus taylorii, commonly known as NZ wood rose, is a native, fully parasitic plant that grows on the roots of certain trees. The host tree responds to the presence of D.taylorii by forming a burl-like structure that resembles a fluted wooden rose (hence the common name). D.taylorii is threatened by browsing of possums, rats, pigs and deer, as well as habitat loss and the rarity of its pollinators and seed dispersers – primarily the NZ short-tail bat.

Within the forest, a large number of individual plants are caged to protect the plants from predators and with the help of funding from the Biodiversity Condition Fund, NZFM erected a predator exclusion fence around a population of D.taylorii with young host tree species. The aim of the fence is to eliminate predators from the area to allow the population to grow. The population is monitored annually to assess its health and vitality.