biology

Introduction of species to Mana Island

Introduction of species to Mana Island is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Introduction of species to Mana Island rather than just read about it. In short: The New Zealand Department of Conservation has introduced a number of animal and plant species to Mana Island, near Porirua, New Zealand, as part of an ecological restoration programme since taking over conservation management of the island in 1987. Some were reintroductions of species wiped out during years of agricultural use or the subsequent explosion in the number of house mice on the island.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The New Zealand Department of Conservation has introduced a number of animal and plant species to Mana Island, near Porirua, New Zealand, as part of an ecological restoration programme since taking over conservation management of the island in 1987. Some were reintroductions of species wiped out during years of agricultural use or the subsequent explosion in the number of house mice on the island. A pest control programme eliminated the mice by 1990 and many species have been introduced since. Notable successes include the spotted skink, Duvaucel's gecko and the flax weevil, which are now regarded as well established, and the yellow-crowned parakeet, which has been described as abundant and widespread. Attempts have been made to introduce several seabird species in what the Department of Conservation describes as "the world's most complex seabird translocation project"; results have been mixed.

Background

Mana Island is a small (approx 217 ha, 0.84 sq mi) island off the southwest coast of the North Island, New Zealand. Since 1987 the island has been owned and managed by New Zealand's Department of Conservation and is administered as a scientific reserve. The island was previously used for agriculture, particularly the raising of sheep and cattle, and after grazing ceased, the growth of grass allowed a rapid increase of the house mouse population. The mice preyed on several native species of lizard and birds and damaged newly planted trees. An eradication programme successfully reduced the mouse population from 5 million in August 1989 to zero by February 1990. The Department of Conservation carries out works to revegetate the island (which was probably originally forested) and restore it to an example of a Cook Strait island ecosystem. The Friends of Mana Island volunteer group was formed in 1998 to carry out work at the island and to raise funds for its conservation. A formal ecological restoration plan was established in 1999 and measures taken to reduce the growth of weeds such as boxthorn, boneseed, Senecio glastifolius and kikuyu grass. A key aim is to introduce large colonies of seabirds, particularly burrowing types which have a significant positive benefit to local ecosystems through their actions in burrowing, gathering of nest materials and deposition of nutrients via droppings, regurgitations and corpses. They are able to support a large number of scavenger and predator species. The abandoned burrows can be used by wētā, skinks and tuatara. There are plans to reintroduce all native animals that are known to have previously lived on the island, introduce other animals threatened on the North Island by invasive mammals and to introduce a wider variety of forest-dwelling invertebrates once the planted forest establishes a more mature leaf litter layer and is generating sufficient quantities of decaying wood.

Land birds

The South Island takahē was introduced to Mana in 1987. A male kiwi (a hybrid little spotted and Okarito) was released on Mana in October 1992. A female little spotted kiwi was released in June 1994. No successful breeding occurred and the female is thought to have died in 1998. The male was translocated to Allports Island in 2006. The Kiwi Recovery Group has recommended that Okarito kiwi be released on Mana in the future. In 1995–96, 66 North Island robins were translocated to Mana from Kapiti Island. They successfully bred and the population increased to 80 by 2010. Further increases are expected as the woodland matures into a more suitable habitat. The brown teal was introduced in 2000–01, with 16 birds released. The population has successfully bred but remains small owing to the limited extent of wetland habitat on the island. Yellow-crowned parakeets were introduced to Mana in 2004 from Te Kakaho Island. They were breeding successfully by 2005 and were regarded as abundant and widespread by 2010. Shore plovers were introduced in 2007 and started breeding on the island in the same year. A count in 2010 showed 125 individuals on the island, of which 26 were permanently resident. There were six breeding pairs and seven fledged chicks. In May 2010 approval was granted for the introduction of 40–60 whiteheads; this had been begun by 2018. New Zealand bellbirds had been spotted on the island in 1996, 2005 and 2008 but had not established there. Approval was granted to release 40–60 individuals in May 2010 and this process had started by 2018. Conservation authorities have suggested Mana as a possible site for introduction of Chatham Island snipe, despite the island being far from their natural range. It has also been proposed that North Island fernbirds be introduced once the planted wetland areas have matured.

Sea birds The Department of Conservation has stated that "Mana Island is the site of the world’s most complex seabird translocation project". Birds are typically released as chicks and are handfed pureed sardine and krill by volunteers with syringes. The common diving petrel was introduced from 1997 and 118 chicks fledged on the island over the next two years. Of these some 20 chicks returned to breed. The population collapsed in 2010 from an unknown cause but subsequently recovered to around 20–25 breeding pairs. The Department of Conservation forecasts that numbers will continue to grow. Fairy prion chicks were introduced in 2002 and 240 had fledged by 2004. Some of these birds returned to breed in 2005, with a return rate of 8%. By 2008–09 only three breeding pairs were present on Mana and the colony was described as precarious. Additional fairy prion chicks were translocated in 2015 and 2016. Fluttering shearwater chicks were translocated to Mana in 2006 and 211 successfully fledged by 2008.

Gannets

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Introduction of species to Mana Island

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Introduction of species to Mana Island claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Introduction of species to Mana Island before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Introduction of species to Mana Island ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Introduction of species to Mana Island

In research: Introduction of species to Mana Island appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Introduction of species to Mana Island in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Introduction of species to Mana Island is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Introduced species, Island restoration, Nature conservation in New Zealand, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Introduction of species to Mana Island outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Introduction of species to Mana Island in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Introduction of species to Mana Island in simple terms?

Why does Introduction of species to Mana Island matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Introduction of species to Mana Island?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Introduction of species to Mana Island.