Abstract
New Zealand is an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands and numerous smaller islands spread over 23° of latitude. It has a relatively wet climate with mean annual rainfall of around 600–4,000 mm per year depending on geographic region. The landscape is geologically active and varied, dominated in different regions by mountains, glacial valleys, volcanic plateaus, broad floodplains, and lowlands, with an extensive coastline. Here we provide an overview of New Zealand wetlands, describing the key wetland types, flora and fauna, progress with implementing the Ramsar Convention relevant wetland policy, approaches to restoration, and cultural connections. The focus is on freshwater and estuarine systems, particularly palustrine wetlands such as bogs, fens, swamps, and marshes.
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Denyer, K., Robertson, H. (2018). Wetlands of New Zealand. In: Finlayson, C., Milton, G., Prentice, R., Davidson, N. (eds) The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_176
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_176
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