The race to save the mighty kauri

The race to save the mighty kauri

0 개 932 노영례

Auckland has come a long way in the fight against the highly contagious and deadly disease, kauri dieback. Projects to manage the spread and impact of the disease have included closing tracks in the Waitākere Ranges and many other favourite urban walking routes to protect kauri, and it has been a sacrifice.

But we are now celebrating the reopening of some of these much-loved tracks and enjoying reconnecting with our forest canopy as scientists and researchers continue to make progress in their understanding of the disease.

35546b3c79aa919f48fb20256b28b8c3_1634679359_3203.png
 

Why is kauri dieback a problem?

Associate Professor Bruce Burns of the University of Auckland has studied kauri for 25 years – long before kauri dieback raised its head.  “The worry is that we lose all or part of the kauri forest we have, and the opportunities that they provide for us won’t be available in the future,” he says.

For instance, says Burns, although some people think of kauri as slow growing, given fertile soil and the right conditions, it is actually the fastest-growing native species we have. It also absorbs carbon faster than any other native tree both in its wood and in the soil.

“In terms of a strategy to store carbon, the best thing we could do is plant kauri,” says Burns. “There are big opportunities that kauri dieback is holding up.”

But Burns is optimistic for the future: “There are still large areas of kauri forest that don’t have the disease. If we can give ourselves time to work out how to manage kauri dieback, that gives me a lot of hope.”


35546b3c79aa919f48fb20256b28b8c3_1634679381_9232.png
 

Identifying risks and taking care of our kauri

Lisa Tolich, Kauri Dieback Manager at Auckland Council, agrees that there are reasons for optimism. “Precautionary measures, including the rahui placed by Te Kawerau ā Maki and the decision to close the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park and other kauri dominant parks and tracks provided breathing room for scientists and researchers to better understand the relationship between the pathogen (that causes the disease), the environment and its host. We are closing the gaps in our knowledge.”

Tolich explains that a long-term monitoring survey is underway, measuring presence of disease in the kauri population as well as identifying risks and impacts associated with the disease.

Along with upgraded tracks and foot-cleaning stations, Auckland Council also focuses on education to help ensure people stick to the tracks and clean their footwear to avoid spreading the pathogen that causes kauri dieback.


35546b3c79aa919f48fb20256b28b8c3_1634679409_3509.png 

The dogs are put through their paces at the training facility.

Sniffer dogs to the rescue

Included in Auckland Council’s defences against kauri dieback are two specially trained sniffer dogs, Pip and Mawhai. They can accurately detect the microscopic pathogen (phytophthora agathidicida) that causes kauri dieback and they can efficiently check footwear and search the equipment and materials used to create walking tracks. They also inspect nurseries, and plants before they are transported into kauri forested areas.

“Finding something natural that we can’t see is pretty special,” says the dogs’ handler, Biosecurity Advisor Brian Shields “And they give everyone a lot of joy too.”


 


How to protect kauri

  • Avoid any area with kauri roots. Draw an imaginary circle around a kauri that is three times the size of its drip zone (the outer circumference of the branches) and avoid entering this area.
  • Consider your footwear if you are entering any kauri zone. Clean your shoes to avoid any possibility of carrying the pathogen between areas.
  • Ensure your dogs stay on the track – this is best done by keeping them on a leash.
  • If you are weeding an area with kauri trees, compost your weeds onsite rather than taking them off the property.

STARS OF TV AND SYMPHONY ALIGN FOR CHILDREN’S…

댓글 0 | 조회 247 | 2024.03.19
Howls of What's the time … 더보기

Housing recovery spreads to nearly 60% of NZ …

댓글 0 | 조회 281 | 2024.03.14
Property values rose in a… 더보기

Annual growth back in black despite flat Febr…

댓글 0 | 조회 337 | 2024.03.12
Property values are sligh… 더보기

No OCR change... for now

댓글 0 | 조회 670 | 2024.02.28
Today's decision by the R… 더보기

Construction cost growth continuing to cool

댓글 0 | 조회 275 | 2024.02.28
The average cost of build… 더보기

Property sale volumes remain erratic

댓글 0 | 조회 523 | 2024.02.20
High mortgage rates conti… 더보기

Home values continue to strengthen, slowly bu…

댓글 0 | 조회 640 | 2024.02.13
The housing market's slow… 더보기

Profitable resales rise for the first time in…

댓글 0 | 조회 566 | 2024.02.08
93.3% of property resales… 더보기

MetService launches push notifications for Ne…

댓글 0 | 조회 492 | 2024.01.25
From today 25 January, Ki… 더보기

Property market signs off 2023 on a strong no…

댓글 0 | 조회 444 | 2024.01.17
The CoreLogic House Price… 더보기

Heat comes out of the construction sector as …

댓글 0 | 조회 376 | 2024.01.11
As pressures on residenti… 더보기

What the shortened Brightline test means for …

댓글 0 | 조회 456 | 2023.12.21
Following the Government’… 더보기

Housing upturn broadens, but underwhelming 20…

댓글 0 | 조회 666 | 2023.12.20
TheCoreLogic NZ December … 더보기

Slow recovery to be continued in 2024

댓글 0 | 조회 499 | 2023.12.19
The housing market contin… 더보기

New Zealanders' Standard of Living in Freefal…

댓글 0 | 조회 906 | 2023.12.14
Responding to today’s rel… 더보기

A turning point for the NZ housing market

댓글 0 | 조회 606 | 2023.12.13
A 'year of two halves' ap… 더보기

10 things to know about mortgage debt right n…

댓글 0 | 조회 1,137 | 2023.12.06
The housing loan market h… 더보기

Home values rise 0.7% in November

댓글 0 | 조회 1,106 | 2023.12.01
Hot on the heels of Octob… 더보기

Mayor’s proposal to make public transport fas…

댓글 0 | 조회 401 | 2023.11.30
Mayor Wayne Brown is prop… 더보기

Cost of building a home increases by 4.9% ann…

댓글 0 | 조회 520 | 2023.11.30
The average cost of build… 더보기

An OCR decision of words not actions

댓글 0 | 조회 507 | 2023.11.29
By Kelvin Davidson, Chief… 더보기

New Zealand rents surge 6.1% in the past year

댓글 0 | 조회 1,104 | 2023.11.23
Rental growth is running … 더보기

New Zealand's Most Beautiful Towns and Cities…

댓글 0 | 조회 879 | 2023.11.10
Iconic Kiwi charity Keep … 더보기

House prices begin to rise, but recovery set …

댓글 0 | 조회 940 | 2023.11.01
fter remaining flat in Se… 더보기

More than 67,000 Kiwis take part in New Zeala…

댓글 0 | 조회 1,653 | 2023.10.26
Iconic Kiwi charity Keep … 더보기