An evaluation of representativeness for nature conservation, Hokitika Ecological District, New Zealand Original Research Article

Representativeness in the modern Hokitika Ecological District landscape is assessed by comparison with the distribution of landform-vegetation classes present in c. 1860 (prior to extensive European settlement). While upland landform-vegetation classes are well represented, lowland ones are not, especially on alluvial and coastal landforms. In these two classes, extant remnants account for 0·3% and 8·2% of their 1860 extent respectively. Options for increasing the representativeness of these landform-vegetation classes must rely largely on ecological restoration, as there are few remaining remnants not already protected. This under-representation may at first seem surprising, as Hokitika Ecological District is located in an area of New Zealand (west coast South Island) with a very high percentage of protected land (c. 75% protected), and emphasises the importance of considering spatial scale when looking at representativeness as a basis for the evaluation and design of protected natural areas. Any targets for land protection (e.g. 10% of the land area) should be stratified across a range of spatial scales from local (ecological districts in this study) to national.