Our Area
Flora & Fauna
New Zealand has a number of Ecological Regions and within these regions Ecological Districts. The Macraes Ecological Region lies within the Lammerlaws Ecological District.
Flora
Whilst on first impression the landscape of the Macraes area appears to be dominated by tussock and in areas Matagouri (Discaria toumatou) a tangle-branched thorny plant endemic to New Zealand, on closer observation the area is very diverse and unique. It was actually proposed in 2008 by Mike Thorsen (working for the Department of Conservation at the time) that a 3000ha area encompassing Macraes contains one of the highest levels of diversity of threatened plants in New Zealand. A total of 350 native species and 84 exotic species have been documented, of which 84 species have been classed as threatened. Six of which are acutely threatened, 9 chronically threatened, 21 at risk, 15 regionally significant and 32 locally notable taxa. Details of the species are documented in the Trilepidea 2008 Newsletter.
The diversity of Macraes is thought to be the result of its location in proximity to Costal and Central Otago, but also its history. It is thought that the area was original semi-arid podocarp forest and small-leaved shrubland on ridge crests and the mesic broadleaf forest from hill slopes and drainage, with the current landscape which consists of hybrid Chionochloa tussock grassland and short tussock grassland the result of Maori and pastoral clearance of the original flora. Twenty-six of the species present are shade-dependent shrubland- or forest-floor inhabitants that have been able to continue to exist under rock overhangs – potentially forest/shrubland surrogates.
Further details of the species described above are available on the New Zealand Plant Converation Network website
Fauna
Similar to the flora Macraes is home to a number of fauna. They were extensively reviewed and reported in the “Oceana Gold (NZ) Ltd Macraes Gold Project Macraes Phase III Avifauna and Herpetofauna Assessments” prepared by Ryder consulting in 2011 Avifauna and Herpetofauna Assessment
There are over seven species of lizards within the Macraes area. Special to the area include the Otago skink (Oligosoma otagense) and Grand skink (Oligosoma grande) which are both classified as “Threatened –Nationally Critical” with the Macraes Ecological District is the only place in New Zealand with any numbers of these species. Both species occur within rocky bluffs and outcrops. Additional species of interest are the Green skink (Oligosoma chloronoton) and Otago Large Gecko (Hoplodactylus sp. ‘Otago Large’) which are both classified as” At Risk – Declining”. The McCann’s skink (Oligosoma maccanni), Common skink (Oligosoma polychrome) and Cryptic skink (Oligosoma inconspicuum) which are also present in the area are classified as “Not Threatened”.
More details on the skinks can be found at DOC Skinks
Fifty-three species of birds have been recorded in the Macraes area, of which thirty-two are indigenous and the remaining twenty-one are introduced. Seven species are listed as ‘Threatened’ and a further five are ‘At Risk’, based on the New Zealand threat classifications. The black fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus), black-billed gull (Larus bulleri), bittern and the banded dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus bicinctus) are all ranked as ‘Threatened – Nationally Endangered’. Black fronted terns have been seen on dredge ponds near Macraes Flat township, as have banded dotterels. Bitterns have been observed in nearby Emerald Creek by Department of Conservation staff. The New Zealand falcon (Falcon novaeseelandiae “eastern”), ranked ‘Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable’ is relatively numerous in the Macraes Ecological District.
A useful resource to help identify birds and obtain more information on them can be found at NZ Birds Online