Species Introduction
Motuora has been greatly altered over the past centuries by human activity. The restoration project currently underway seeks to re-establish a native ecosystem for us all to enjoy.
For the last fifteen years the restoration effort has been directed at re-planting the island’s pastures, a process due to be completed by 2010. Over these years, a number of surveys have been carried out to determine what native species are still present on Motuora. For example, volunteers from the New Zealand Ornithological Society have conducted bird surveys on the island since 1987 and this work has created a list of all the bird species seen on Motuora over the past two decades.
With young planted forest now covering much of the island and a good knowledge of the island inhabitants it is possible to begin introducing native plant and animal species that will contribute to the island restoration. MRS and DOC have developed a comprehensive introduction plan to guide this stage of the restoration (Motuora Native Species Introduction Plan)
. Species proposed for introduction include species typical of the area (e.g. locally common plants that are missing from Motuora), ecologically important species (e.g. seabird species that introduce marine nutrients into the island ecosystem), as well as threatened species (e.g. the Little Barrier Island giant weta). Over time, these introductions will create a thriving native island ecosystem, with a diverse forest and numerous seabirds together sustaining an abundance of invertebrates, land birds and reptiles. The proposed introductions will also establish new populations of 14 threatened species and 14 species that are sparse or that have suffered decline on the mainland.