The cost of reconstructing enough native habitat for nature to thrive across New Zealand has been estimated by the Eco-index research programme and published in an update to its online Ecosystem Reconstruction Map.
Ecosystem reconstruction involves recreating native habitat in areas where it has been completely removed. This often occurs in retired pasture, in urban parks or along waterways and usually involves planting native trees and shrubs alongside weed and pest control.
The first version of the Eco-index Ecosystem Reconstruction Map was launched in November 2023 to share information about the need to not only look after existing ecosystems but reconstruct missing ones too.
“Biodiversity in Aotearoa is in decline,” says Eco-index Co-Director Dr Kiri Joy Wallace from the University of Waikato. “We want to understand where we can most effectively invest in reversing this trend.”