Frequently Asked Questions
The Eco-index Ecosystem Restoration Map is a guide to:
The expected natural range of native ecosystems across Aotearoa New Zealand, by catchment.
Ecosystem restoration priority levels based on current extent of native ecosystems, by catchment.
The area of new ecosystem restoration required to reach a goal of 15% native ecosystem cover. Read rationale for the 15% goal here.
This map is not:
A comprehensive ecological restoration guide. Please use it alongside other information sources.
A resource about ecosystem quality or condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions - Ecology & Ecosystem Questions - Policy Questions - Technical Questions
General Questions
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If you’re working on a computer, laptop or tablet, please allow third party cookies.
Our apologies, but we are unable to optimise the maps for mobile with the technology available, due to the size and complexity of the data.
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Biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. Our economy and society are embedded in nature & biodiversity, not external to it. In summary, biodiversity underpins Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy and society.
We know that native biodiversity in this country (like many others) is not doing well. If we want our society and economy to be healthy, it is logical to reduce the decline of native biodiversity.
Read more here:
Why nature matters - Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures
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The Ecosystem Restoration Map was designed for land management decision-makers in Aotearoa New Zealand. This includes iwi leaders, rural professionals, community group managers, regional and national government, industry peak bodies, business, and others.
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Understanding which native ecosystems are expected to occur in a given catchment and the area they would naturally occupy.
Finding where the highest restoration priority areas are, i.e. those with very low native ecosystem cover.
Viewing restoration targets for each native ecosystem in any catchment.
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We do not recommend using this map in isolation.
It will be most useful when used alongside local information such as regional council guidance and local restoration expertise.
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The answer to these questions depends on your location and your ecosystem restoration goals.
Some helpful steps could include: talking to your local council, catchment group or iwi to understand what kind of restoration work is underway in your catchment. Connecting with others who have similar goals is very helpful.
The ecosystem types descriptions in this map are based on an old-growth forest. If you are restoring an ecosystem from scratch (often called “ecological reconstruction”) you will need to start with pioneer species - your local native plant nursery should be able to help with this.
Your plantings should follow a pattern of ecological succession where larger, long-lived trees replace the smaller, short-lived ones.
Here are some resources that may be helpful:
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The Eco-index ecosystem types are based on those mapped by Leathwick et al. for their Potential Natural Vegetation work. This system was chosen because it had been mapped across the country.
The catchments are based on the catchment layer from the Ministry for the Environment with substantial streamlining work done by our Data Scientists to make it more practical for analysis and interpretation.
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We know this is unusual! We decided to disable the legend to save space on screen. Due to the large number of different ecosystems, it became difficult to see the map properly with a legend on display.
You can discover which ecosystem is which by clicking on the map when you have selected the expected natural range of ecosystems layer.
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The Eco-index analyses were undertaken at catchment scale so although recommendations in the map can help with garden-scale planning, the data may be too broad to be helpful for your backyard.
Here are some resources that may be helpful to you and your garden:
DoC’s Planting a Native Garden
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Yes. You are welcome to send the name and the URL of your community group’s website to info@eco-index.co.nz and we will add this to the map.
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We have only just become aware of this issue and were unable to fix it for the launch. All of these stories are available by clicking on the link in the top of the panel.
We will have a new, improved group of links up on the site shortly.
Some websites protect themselves in certain ways that mean they can’t ‘pop-up’ when linked on sites like ours.
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The Eco-index Ecosystem Restoration Map will be refined as data sources are updated and user feedback is received.
Eco-index has releases planned in 2024 for more tools to empower decision-makers on restoration costings, ecosystem service valuations, specific restoration location planning, ecosystem remote sensing and more.
Subscribe to our updates to keep up with the latest releases!
Ecology & Ecosystem Questions
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Restoration is a broad term that incorporates a range of activities. The restoration targets in this map will require a particular kind of restoration called Ecological Reconstruction, which is defined by the Society for Ecological Restoration as:
A restoration approach where the appropriate biota (e.g. plants, insects, birds) need to be entirely or almost entirely reintroduced as they cannot regenerate or recolonise within feasible timeframes, even after expert facilitated regeneration interventions. Or in other words, the native ecosystems need to be rebuilt from scratch.
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The native ecosystem types in our map are based on the types of plants you would see in an old, mature ecosystem, e.g. large tawa trees in kahikatea-mataī/tawa-māhoe forest.
However, ecosystem restoration or reconstruction is best undertaken with a successional approach. That is, starting with fast-growing, sun-loving pioneer species and infilling with slower growing, shade-loving species.
For example, if you were aiming to restore an ecosystem type that includes tawa trees in an area that is retired pasture, it would be best to start with a ‘nurse’ crop of mānuka, kānuka, pittosporum species and perhaps harakeke and hebes. Once these have grown up, shaded out the grass and formed a canopy, you could then introduce tawa into shaded areas. Planting tawa straight into pasture would be very likely to fail.
We recommend seeking local advice from councils, restoration experts and native nurseries in your area.
More on ecological succession & restoration:
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In many areas, Aotearoa New Zealand’s native biodiversity is dramatically lower than the safe lower limit needed for the ecological processes we depend upon. We need native ecosystems like forests, and wetlands to produce valuable services like reduced erosion, flooding, carbon emissions, air, soil and water pollution, non-native species spread, and also to provide for people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
In short, undertaking ecosystem restoration will bring benefits to your land and people.
More information:
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This is a question of scale. In version 1.0 of the Ecosystem Restoration Map we have calculated the restoration targets and priorities at catchment scale. The catchments we use are quite large so if there is sufficient cover of native ecosystems elsewhere in your catchment, the map will show that your area is not a high priority.
We will consider smaller-scale targets and priorities in further iterations of the map. Let us know via the survey at the bottom of the map page if this is of interest to you.
Also, this map deals with native ecosystem cover, not quality. Many native ecosystems in this country need a lot of restoration work to improve their quality (i.e. mauri, function, resilience, health) through invasive predator and weed control, fencing, native planting etc. There is still much to do, even if the map indicates that your native ecosystem cover is adequate.
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The expected natural range of native ecosystems is the location and area that scientists expect each native ecosystem would occupy across Aotearoa New Zealand, in the absence of human activity. This information is based on the Potential Natural Vegetation data set from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research with the addition of extra wetland information.
The full description of the Potential Natural Vegetation layer:
“This layer describes the expected state of mature vegetation in the absence of human intervention, and looks to reconstruct the likely biological character of New Zealand's pre-human past.
The dataset was created by statistical tools, which were used for interpolation of point climate data and the analysis of spatial patterns. It builds on preliminary statistical modelling by Leathwick (2001), and newly available high-resolution environmental data layers, to reconstruct New Zealand's 'Potential Vegetation Pattern'.”
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To calculate the restoration targets for each ecosystem in each catchment we first looked at the expected natural range of native ecosystems (see question above) and then compared this to the native ecosystem cover from the Land Cover Database v5 (2018).
Next, we identified the catchments that have ecosystems that cover less than 15% of their expected natural range (see rationale for 15% land cover goal here) and calculated the area of new ecosystems required to reach the 15% goal, this produced the restoration target.
For example, if dunelands in Catchment “A” had an expected natural range of 100 hectares and the current (based on 2018 Land Cover Database data) is 11 hectares, this is 11% and therefore the restoration target would be four hectares to get to 15 hectares, or 15%.
Note: Land Cover Database is due to be updated in 2024, at which time we will update our targets.
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The restoration priority level for a native ecosystem in any given catchment is based on what proportion of the expected natural range of that ecosystem is left.
Very high restoration priority areas have less than 5% remaining; high restoration priority areas have 5-10% remaining and moderate have 10-15%.
For example, if dunelands in Catchment “A” had an expected natural range of 100 hectares and the current (based on 2018 Land Cover Database data) is 11 hectares, this is 11% and therefore a moderate restoration priority.
Policy Questions
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The Eco-index minimum 15% native ecosystem cover goal was developed independently of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity, and before it was released.
We recommend that land managers tackle ecosystem restoration from wherever they currently are, perhaps this looks like 10% cover in the next 10 years, followed by 15% in the next 15, and 30% in the next 20 years. Our goal is intended as guidance for those wanting to make a difference for native biodiversity.
The rationale behind the 15% goal is available here.
NB: it is just as important to protect existing native ecosystems as it is to restore new ones, in some areas, this protection is MORE important.
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The full answer to this question is in our 15% rationale document but in summary, this goal aligns with the:
• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Technical Questions
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Due to the size and complexity of the data, this tool works best on a laptop or desktop computer. Our apologies, but we are unable to optimise the maps for mobile with the technology available.
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Two factors main influence the accuracy of the map:
1. multiple data sets were brought together to create the Ecosystem Restoration Map and
2. the analysis was undertaken at a national scale.
Firstly, no data set is perfect. We have combined various data sets to create this map, and each has its own margins of error. It was beyond the scope of this analysis to mitigate the possible errors in contributing data sources, but we have, in consultation with the experts, used the best available methodologies in our mapping exercise to minimise the effect of these accuracy issues.
Secondly, we recommend combining the recommendations of the map with local information and advice, especially when considering small areas (such as a single property or neighbourhood). This map is one of the multiple information sources required to make effective restoration decisions.
With finer-scale satellite data and advanced remote sensing technology becoming available in the near-future, there is enormous potential to minimise these accuracy issue further versions of our maps.
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Yes, the Eco-index GIS layers are available on Koordinates.
You’ll need to setup a (free) Koordinates account to download them.
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There is currently no national, open source GIS data that provides the final boundaries for these units as decided by the regional councils.
Still got questions?
Send us your query and we’ll do our best to get the answers!
