Abstract

A Conservation Decision Support Tool for New Zealand's Freshwater Ecosystems
Track: Water Resources
Authors: Derek Brown, John Leathwick

Staff from New Zealand's Department of Conservation have developed a comprehensive GIS-database that provides a consistent national description of river, lake and wetland ecosystems, including their physical environment, biological character and degree of modification by human activity. Statistical models were used to interpolate point observations of biological attributes across the entire landscape using a mix of modelled and measured environmental predictors. Separate classifications were used to group together rivers, lakes and wetlands having similar ecological characteristics, these acting as powerful analytical tools to simplify the identification of management issues and the locations in which they are located. These classifications were also used as frameworks within which to identify priority sites for conservation management, using spatial optimisation tools that identify best-condition examples of a full range of ecosystems types to meet high level policy goals for the protection of a representative range of biodiversity.