Invasive species in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
A number of introduced species
, some of which have become invasive species
, have been added to New Zealand
's native flora and fauna.
Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement with several waves of Polynesian
people at some time before the year 1300, followed by Europeans after 1769
.
Almost without exception, the introduced species have been detrimental to the native flora and fauna but some, such as sheep and cows and the clover
upon which they feed now form a large part of the economy of New Zealand
.
, with a listing of about 120 genus, species, hybrids and subspecies, was developed to limit the spread of plant pests. Invasive plants are classified as such on a regional basis with some plants declared as national plant pests. The Department of Conservation also lists 328 vascular plant species as environmental weeds.
Some of the more well known invasive plant species are:
The city of Auckland
has been declared to be the weediest city in the world.
Publications
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, some of which have become invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, have been added to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's native flora and fauna.
Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement with several waves of Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
people at some time before the year 1300, followed by Europeans after 1769
First voyage of James Cook
The first voyage of James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771...
.
Almost without exception, the introduced species have been detrimental to the native flora and fauna but some, such as sheep and cows and the clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
upon which they feed now form a large part of the economy of New Zealand
Economy of New Zealand
New Zealand has a market economy which is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the European Union, the United States, China, and Japan. It has only small manufacturing and high-tech sectors, being strongly focused on tourism and primary industries like agriculture...
.
Mammals
- CatCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
- DogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
- DeerDeerDeer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
- FerretFerretThe ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...
- GoatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
- HedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
- MouseMouseA mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
- PigPigA pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
- PossumPossumA possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
- RabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
- RatRatRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
- StoatStoatThe stoat , also known as the ermine or short-tailed weasel, is a species of Mustelid native to Eurasia and North America, distinguished from the least weasel by its larger size and longer tail with a prominent black tip...
- Himalayan tahrHimalayan TahrThe Himalayan Tahr or Common Thar is a large ungulate related to the wild goat.-Habitat:...
- WeaselWeaselWeasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
Invertebrates
- German waspGerman waspThe German wasp, or European wasp, Vespula germanica, is a wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has been introduced and is well-established in many other places, including North America, South America , Australia and New Zealand...
- Common waspCommon waspThe common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, known in the US as the yellowjacket, is found in much of the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It is a eusocial vespid which builds its grey paper nest in or on a structure capable of supporting it...
- Asian paper wasp
- Varroa destructorVarroa destructorVarroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The disease caused by the mites is called varroatosis....
- Sea squirt
Plant species
The National Pest Plant AccordNational Pest Plant Accord
The National Pest Plant Accord identifies pest plants that are prohibited from sale and commercial propagation and distribution across New Zealand....
, with a listing of about 120 genus, species, hybrids and subspecies, was developed to limit the spread of plant pests. Invasive plants are classified as such on a regional basis with some plants declared as national plant pests. The Department of Conservation also lists 328 vascular plant species as environmental weeds.
Some of the more well known invasive plant species are:
- AcaciaAcaciaAcacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
species (mostly Australian) especially wattle - Acanthus - Bears Britches
- Arundo donaxArundo donaxArundo donax, Giant Cane, is a tall perennial cane growing in damp soils, either fresh or moderately saline. Other common names include Carrizo, Arundo, Spanish cane, Wild cane, and Giant reed....
- Giant Reed (or Elephant Grass) - Banana passionfruitBanana passionfruitBanana passionfruit is the fruit of several plants in the genus Passiflora, and are therefore related to the passion fruit. They look somewhat like a straight, small banana with rounded ends. It was given this name in New Zealand, where passionfruit are also prevalent. In Hawaii, it is called...
- Darwin's Barberry
- BlackberryBlackberryThe blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
- Boneseed
- BroomBroom (shrub)Brooms are a group of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae, mainly in the three genera Chamaecytisus, Cytisus and Genista, but also in many other small genera . All genera in this group are from the tribe Genisteae...
- Californian thistleCirsium arvenseCirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is Creeping Thistle.-Alternate names:...
- Cape Tulip
- Asparagus scandensAsparagus scandensAsparagus scandens, is a plant native to South Africa in the Asparagus genus....
- Climbing Asparagus - Didymosphenia geminataDidymosphenia geminataDidymosphenia geminata, commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that grows in warm and shallow water. If it overgrows, it can form large mats on the bottom of lakes, rivers and streams. It is not considered a significant human health risk, but it can affect stream habitats and...
("didymo" or "rock snot") - Japanese HoneysuckleJapanese HoneysuckleThe Japanese Honeysuckle is a species of honeysuckle native to eastern Asia including China , Japan, and Korea. It is a twining vine able to climb up to high or more in trees, with opposite, simple oval leaves long and broad...
- Jasminum polyanthumJasminum polyanthumJasminum polyanthum, also known as Pink Jasmine , is an evergreen twining climber from China. It produces an abundance of reddish-pink flower buds in late winter and early spring, followed by fragrant five-petalled star-like white flowers which are about 2 cm in diameter...
- Jasmine - GorseGorseGorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
- HeatherCallunaCalluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
- Kahili GingerHedychium gardnerianumHedychium gardnerianum is a plant native to the Himalayas in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It grows to 8 ft tall with long, bright green leaves clasping the tall stems. The very fragrant pale yellow and red flowers are held in dense spikes above the foliage...
- Lagarosiphon majorLagarosiphon majorLagarosiphon major is a monocotic aquatic plant native to Southern Africa. Common names include African elodea, curly waterweed, oxygen weed and South African oxygen weed. It is used as freshwater aquarium plant....
(oxygen weed) - Lodgepole PineLodgepole PineLodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
- LoquatLoquatThe loquat , Eriobotrya japonica, is a fruit tree in the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China. It was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar...
- LupinLupinLupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
- Mexican daisy
- Ageratina adenophoraAgeratina adenophoraAgeratina adenophora is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by many common names, including eupatory, sticky snakeroot, crofton weed, and Mexican devil.- Description :...
- Mexican devil - Mistflower
- Morning gloryMorning gloryMorning glory is a common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics is in flux...
- convolvulous - Moth plant
- EgeriaEgeria (genus)Egeria is a genus of two species of aquatic plants in the family Hydrocharitaceae, native to warm-temperate South America.The genus was formerly included in the related genus Elodea, from which it differs in having the leaves in whorls of four or more, not three, and in having more conspicuous...
(oxygen weed) - Old man's beardClematis vitalbaClematis vitalba is a shrub of the Ranunculaceae family.-Description:Clematis vitalba is a climbing shrub with branched, grooved stems, deciduous leaves, and scented greeny-white flowers with fluffy underlying sepals...
- Pampas grass
- PrivetPrivetPrivet was originally the name for the European semi-evergreen shrub Ligustrum vulgare, and later also for the more reliably evergreen Ligustrum ovalifolium , used extensively for privacy hedging. It is often suggested that the name privet is related to private, but the OED states that there is no...
- Tree Privet and Chinese Privet - Purple loosestrifePurple loosestrifeLythrum salicaria is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae, native to Europe, Asia, northwest Africa, and southeastern Australia. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the family Primulaceae...
- Queen of the NightCestrum nocturnumCestrum nocturnum is a species of Cestrum, native to the West Indies. Common names include Night-blooming Cestrum, Lady of the Night, Queen of the Night, Night-blooming jessamine, and Night-blooming Jasmine. Hasnuhana is another popular name for the plant in Bengali...
- RagwortSenecioSenecio is a genus of the daisy family that includes ragworts and groundsels. The flower heads are normally rayed, completely yellow, and the heads are borne in branched clusters...
- Rhamnus alaternusBuckthornThe Buckthorns are a genus of about 100 species of shrubs or small trees from 1-10 m tall , in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae...
- Rhododendron ponticumRhododendron ponticumRhododendron ponticum, called Common Rhododendron or Pontic Rhododendron, is a species of Rhododendron native to southern Europe and southwest Asia.-Description:...
- Schinus terebinthifolius - Christmasberry
- Scotch thistle
- Wandering JewTradescantia fluminensisTradescantia fluminensis is a species of spiderwort native to South America. It is one of several plants known by the common name Wandering Jew. It is also known as River Spiderwort, Small-Leaf Spiderwort, Inch Plant, Wandering Trad and Wandering Willie.T...
- WillowWillowWillows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
- Crack willow and Gray Willow - Yellow flag
The city of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
has been declared to be the weediest city in the world.
See also
- Blue morning glory in New ZealandBlue morning glory in New ZealandBlue morning glory is an invasive species in New Zealand.It is classed as an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and it is therefore illegal to sell, propagate and distribute the plant...
- Common Brushtail Possum (New Zealand)Common Brushtail Possum (New Zealand)The Common Brushtail Possum is a major agricultural and conservation pest in New Zealand. It also goes by the name Paihamu.-Introduction by European settlers:...
- Gorse in New ZealandGorse in New ZealandGorse is a major invasive plant species in New Zealand and millions of dollars are spent on its control.Gorse is one of the most widely recognised agricultural weeds in New Zealand...
- Gypsy moths in New ZealandGypsy moths in New ZealandThe gypsy moth, an invasive species from Eurasia, was discovered in New Zealand but were eradicated with an intensive eradication programme...
- Old man's beard in New ZealandOld man's beard in New ZealandOld man's beard is an invasive plant in New Zealand that has an impact on indigenous biodiversity. It is declared an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993 which means it cannot be sold, distributed or propagated....
- Stoats in New ZealandStoats in New ZealandStoats were introduced into New Zealand to control rabbits and hares, but are now a major threat to the native bird population. The natural range of the stoat is limited to parts of the Northern Hemisphere...
- Wilding coniferWilding coniferWilding conifers, also known as wilding pines, are invasive tree species in the high country of New Zealand. Millions of dollars is spent on controlling their spread....
External links
- "Weedbusters" - information on plant pests
- "New Zealand Biodiversity" - information on adventive insects especially flatworms, cockroaches, and millipedes
- Biosecurity New Zealand NZ Government Agency responsible for biosecurity
- New Zealand Department of Conservation - animal pests
- New Zealand Department of Conservation - plant pests
- New Zealand Ministry for the Environment - list of species considered to be weeds on conservation land
- New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - searchable database on unwanted organisms
Publications