Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
for the Eco-index Ecosystem Reconstruction Map v2.0
General Questions - Ecology & Ecosystem Questions - Policy Questions - Technical Questions
The Eco-index Ecosystem Reconstruction Map v2.0 is a guide to:
Ecosystem reconstruction priority levels - based on current cover of native ecosystems, by catchment.
Projected native ecosystems - based on expected ecosystem cover if people had never arrived in Aotearoa NZ.
The area of new ecosystem reconstruction required to reach a goal of 15% native ecosystem cover, by catchment. Find the rationale for the 15% goal here.
The estimated costs of ecosystem reconstruction and maintenance, by catchment.
This map is not:
Intended to distract from the importance of protecting existing native ecosystems. Protection and restoration of existing ecosystems is the highest priority for biodiversity management.
A comprehensive ecological reconstruction or restoration guide. Please use it alongside other information sources.
A resource about ecosystem quality or condition.
The Ecosystem Reconstruction Map v2.0 is a Digital Public Good by Eco-index® under CC BY 4.0 license.
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. 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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Finding where the highest reconstruction priority areas are, i.e. those with very low native ecosystem cover.
Understanding which native ecosystems are expected to occur in a given catchment and the area they would naturally occupy.
Viewing restoration targets for each native ecosystem in any catchment.
Comparing the estimated reconstruction costs to across different catchments (to reach 15% ecosystem cover goal).
Learning some key characteristics of different native ecosystem types.
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The Ecosystem Reconstruction Priority Levels are based on Land Cover Database version 5.0, with some custom updates for wetland ecosystems.
The Projected Native Ecosystems are based on Potential Natural Vegetation dataset: Leathwick, J., McGlone, M. & Walker, S. (2003). New Zealand’s Potential Vegetation Pattern. Landcare Research.
The Estimated Catchment Reconstruction Costs are based on Eco-index economic analyses and work by international studies by Brander et al. (2024), de Groot et al. (2012) and Constanza et al. (1997).
See our Product Deep Dive for detailed information.
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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 reconstructing an ecosystem from scratch 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 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 turned the Projected Native Ecosystems on.
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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
Ecology & Ecosystem Questions
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Ecosystem Reconstruction 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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Projected Native Ecosystems provides the location and area that scientists expect each native ecosystem would occupy across Aotearoa New Zealand, if people had never arrived here. This information is based on the Potential Natural Vegetation dataset 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 reconstruction targets for each ecosystem in each catchment we first looked at the projected 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 projected 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 reconstruction 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 soon, at which time we will update our targets.
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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 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 reconstruct an ecosystem type that includes tawa trees in an area that is currently 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 reconstruction will bring benefits to your land and people.
More information:
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This is a question of scale. The Ecosystem Reconstruction Map targets and priorities have been calculated 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 may 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 reconstruction priority level for a native ecosystem in any given catchment is based on what proportion of the project range of that ecosystem is left.
Very high reconstruction priority areas have less than 5% remaining; high reconstruction 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 reconstruction 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!
