New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Six years of intensive pest mammal control at Trounson Kauri Park, a
Department of Conservation “mainland island”, June 1996-July 2002
C. A. Gillies
Department of Conservation
Science and Technical Centre
Northern Regional Office
P.O. Box 112
Hamilton, New Zealand
M. R. Leach
N. B. Coad
S. W. Theobald
J. Campbell
Department of Conservation
Trounson Kauri Park
Trounson Kauri Park Rd
RD 9
Dargaville, New Zealand
T. Herbert
Department of Conservation
Waikawau Bay Rd
RD 4
Coromandel, New Zealand
P. J. Graham
Department of Conservation
Whangarei Area Office
P.O. Box 147
Whangarei, New Zealand
R. J. Pierce
Wildland Consultants
P.O. Box 1305
Whangarei, New Zealand
Abstract Trounson Kauri Park is a 445-ha fragment of
kauri-podocarp forest located in western Northland, New Zealand, and is one
of a series of “mainland island” ecosystem restoration projects managed by
the Department of Conservation. One of the main objectives at Trounson is
to reduce introduced mammalian pest numbers to a level that would allow recovery
of those native species still present in the park and allow the reintroduction
of local or regionally extinct species. Brushtail possums (Trichosurus
vulpecula) and rodents (ship rats, Rattus rattus, Norway rats,
R. norvegicus, and mice, Mus musculus) were targeted in poison
baiting operations using 1080, various anticoagulants, cholecalciferol or
cyanide pellets laid in bait stations within the park. These operations suppressed
possum and rat numbers to low levels, but mouse numbers were reduced only
for short periods. The reduction in possum and rat numbers allowed significant
seasonal increases in kukupa (New Zealand wood pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)
abundance. Feral cats (Felis catus) and mustelids (stoats, Mustela
erminea, weasels, M. nivalis, and ferrets, M. furo) were
trapped around the forest boundaries and at key locations within and around
the park. The predator trapping consistently provided predation relief for
North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx australis mantelli) chicks, which
are extremely vulnerable to predation by stoats, such that enough survived
in order to sustain and increase the size of the adult population. Attempts
were made to re-establish breeding populations of North Island robins (Petroica
australis longipes), North Island kokako (Callaeas cinerea wilsoni),
and brown teal (Anas aucklandica chlorotis) (three species of locally
extinct native birds) to Trounson, but these were only partially successful
at best.
Keywords pest control; mainland island; feral cat; Felis
catus; stoat, Mustela erminea; weasel; Mustela nivalis;
ferret; Mustela furo; brushtail possum; Trichosurus vulpecula;
ship rat; Rattus rattus; Norway rat; Rattus norvegicus; mouse;
Mus musculus; North Island brown kiwi; Apteryx australis mantelli;
kukupa; Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae; translocation; North Island kokako;
Callaeas cinerea wilsoni; brown teal; Anas aucklandica chlorotis;
North Island robin; Petroica australis longipes
Z03018 Received 30 April 2003; accepted 26 July 2003; online publication
date 16 October 2003
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2003, Vol. 30: 399-420
0301-4223/03/3004-0399 $7.00/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand
2003
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