Fly Camp Elcho
Wing Measurement
Kiri attaching a transmitter to Kereru during a contract to the Department of Conservation (Tui and Kereru in Fragmented Landscapes 2002-2004)
Preparing to take blood sample of Southern Royal Albatross, Campbell Island
Project: LUCAS (Land Use and Carbon Analysis System) Re-measurement Audits Client: Department of Conservation (2010 - ongoing)
Both directors of Urtica were involved in the initial establishment of New Zealand’s permanent plot network for carbon and biodiversity accounting purposes (previously known as CMS –IF&S (Carbon Monitoring System for Indigenous Forests and Shrublands). Our background in this type of work and our comprehensive knowledge of the methodology involved means that we were a natural choice to assist the Department of Conservation/Ministry for the Environment with auditing the quality of the data from the re-measurement of these plots.
Project: Forests Affected by
Deer (FAD) Research Project
Client: Department of Conservation (2010)
This long term study is investigating the restoration of forests affected by deer and how forested sites can change in response to deer control. Urtica continued their involvement with this project in the Hopkins and Huxley River valleys in the autumn of 2010. We re-visited 100 plots in order to re-measure individually tagged beech seedlings and to undertake biomass harvests, soil samples and hemispherical photographs.
Link to Department of Conservation website - Deer Forest Study
Project: High Value Area (HVA)
Surveys (2009-2010)
Client: Environment Southland/Southland District Council/Landcare Trust
Description: Urtica has an ongoing contract with Environment Southland to provide ecological surveys of indigenous forest, scrub and wetlands on private property in the Southland region. The HVA program is a voluntary process. Landowners who wish to have their land surveyed contact Urtica or Environment Southland. Surveys involve a field visit and the provision of a report (free for the landowner) detailing the ecological values and management requirements of each site. Spatial information is captured on a GIS database.
Project: Kokatahi Permanent
Forest Plot Re-Measurement
Client:
Manaaki-Whenua-Landcare Research/ Department of Conservation, West
Coast Conservancy (2010)
Long term forest monitoring and research in the Kokatahi River has focussed on tracking dieback and recovery of rata/kamahi forest in the area. Urtica carried out the re-measure of these plots in an area renowned for its steep unstable terrain and extreme weather.
Project:Awarua/Waituna
Wetlands Hydrology and Vegetation Mapping
Client: Department of Conservation, Muruhiku Area Office, Southland
Conservancy (2010)
Urtica and Boffa-Miskell were commissioned to map and ground truth the Awarua/Waituna Wetlands. Past wetland inventories and maps had been created for the wetland complex but none had integrated the classification system developed for New Zealand wetlands. After initial GIS mapping of the wetlands by Boffa-Miskell, Urtica carried out ground truthing and finer scale mapping of the vegetation associations present. Recce plots were employed to describe ‘typical’ vegetation communities and to illustrate the heterogeneity that occurred at finer spatial scales within mapped polygons.
Project: Identification and
Assessment of Entry Pathways for Exotic
Termites (Isoptera) into New Zealand (2009)
Client: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry-Biosecurity New Zealand
Exotic termites are of biosecurity concern to New Zealand because of their potential economic, social and environmental impacts. Urtica undertook a peer-reviewed assessment of the entry pathways for exotic termites for Biosecurity New Zealand in order to provide a basis for a more strategic approach to the management of the risks posed by termites.
Project: Coco-peat Weed Risk
Assessments (2008)
Client: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry-Biosecurity New Zealand
We were contracted to prepare Risk Assessments for over 25 new to New Zealand weeds accidentally imported in coir (coco-peat fibre) from Sri Lanka. These weeds were a potential economic and environmental threat in New Zealand. Working to a tight deadline, we delivered comprehensive, but concise, assessments for each species. Each assessment was subject to internal and external review.
Link
to MAF
website with Risk Assessments
Project: Stewart
Island-Rakiura Permanent Forest Plot
Re-Measurement (2008)
Client: Department of Conservation
Urtica Inc. has a history of involvement in long-term forest monitoring on Stewart Island-Rakiura, having formed the core of the teams undertaking this work from 1998-2000. In 2008 we were contracted again by the Department of Conservation to re-measure over 50 plots on the island.
Project: Black-fronted Tern
Research (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009)
Client: Boffa-Miskell (Meridian Energy and Trust Power Ltd)
We were sub-contracted to Boffa-Miskell to carry out field work and data collection for studies on black-fronted terns in the McKenzie Basin and in the Wairau River. The aim was to trial the effectiveness of intensive predator control around tern colonies and to investigate the effect of river flows and ‘islands’ on tern reproductive success; determined by egg and chick survival. During this work we pioneered new techniques for locating colonies, the assessment of population numbers, and the identification of predators from DNA samples taken from predated eggs and birds.
Project: Te Paeatatu
– Landscape change and human interaction
in pre-1840 Bay of Islands, New Zealand (2007)
Client: Ngati Hine
Te Paeatatu is a Marsden funded project investigating landscape transformation and human interaction in pre-1840’s Bay of Islands, New Zealand. We provided research services and a report (see Publications) on Maori cultivation of endemic trees and shrubs and the changes in those practices in the pre-contact and post-contact periods respectively.
Project: New Zealand Carbon
Monitoring System (CMS) and
EBEX²¹ Emissions Trading Scheme
Client: Landcare Research Manaaki-Whenua and private landholders
Under the Kyoto Protocol, New Zealand is required to report on and monitor carbon stocks found in indigenous forest and scrublands. We were employed by Landcare Research to assist in establishing a nationwide system of permanent vegetation plots for carbon and biodiversity accounting purposes. We are also contracted to Landcare Research to carry out EBEX²¹ carbon credit site assessments for private landowners.
Project: Awarua/Waituna
Wetland - Bittern/Marsh Crake/Spotless
Crake Survey (2008-2009)
Client: Department of Conservation
The Awarua wetlands in Southland are New Zealand’s newest and largest site recognized under the International Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Home to a diverse array of habitats and species, Urtica Inc. is conducting a year long pilot study aimed at determining the optimum time to monitor populations of these secretive birds.
Project: Top 100 Biodiversity
Survey (2005)
Client: Greater Wellington Regional Council
We were contracted to the Greater Wellington Regional Council to carry out ecological surveys of indigenous forest remnants on private land in the greater Wellington area. Management requirements were also assessed. We then ranked each site, enabling the Regional Council to prioritize their assistance to individual landowners.
Project: Ohau Deer and Gap
Survey (2007)
Client: Department of Conservation
Urtica Inc. were contracted to establish and measure thirty 10m x 10m seedling plots in the Hopkins and Huxley Rivers. Individual seedlings were tagged and measured in order to study the population dynamics and regeneration of mountain beech under different experimental treatments (gap, non-gap, fenced, non-fenced). This project was a component of the Forests Affected by Deer (FAD) research described above.
Project: De-banding of
Southern Royal Albatross Campbell Island
(2004/2005)
Client: Department of Conservation
Southern Royal Albatross have been banded on an ‘ad hoc’ basis for many years on Campbell Island. Unfortunately a substantial number had been causing injuries to the birds. Removal of these problematic leg bands and a population survey of the birds were undertaken over a two month period.
Project: Tui and Kereru in
Fragmented Landscapes (2002-2004)
Client: Department of Conservation
This multi-faceted study investigated habitat use by tui and kereru in urban and rural landscapes in Southland. The study had two main focuses. The first investigated population numbers and related this to habitat and food availability. The second was to monitor seasonal movements of these birds using radio transmitters.
Project: Chatham Island
Threatened Plant/Restoration/Weed Projects
(1995-2001)
Client: Department of Conservation
We carried out a range of work on the Chatham Islands over a period of time. One aspect of this work included propagation, planting and monitoring of threatened plants on Chatham and Mangere Island. Another was carrying out ecological restoration work on Mangere Island. We also undertook pest plant surveys of reserves around Chatham Island, and initiated control programmes of some species.
Project: Multi-Pest Dynamics
Project (2006)
Client: Landcare Research Manaaki-Whenua
Urtica Inc. has been carrying out the field work requirements for this project which is aimed at understanding the population dynamics and interactions between possums, rodents and mustelids after different experimental pest control treatments.
Project: Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile) Forest Condition Report, Taranaki (2000) Client: Department of Conservation
Kohekohe forest is not found in abundance in the Taranaki area and is also very susceptible to possum browse. We assessed kohekohe forest condition in areas under different possum management regimes using the Foliar Browse Index. The subsequent report enabled decisions to be made on the level and frequency of pest suppression in order to provide the desired level of protection for kohekohe forest.