Animals and plants of New Zealand - the unique nature of the country. Climate and nature of New Zealand: description, features and interesting facts

New Zealand is a country that surprise every traveler picturesque natural and rare wildlife. When you get here, you literally find yourself in a fairy tale, where landscapes amaze with their originality and grandeur.

New Zealand nature and animals that live harmoniously in it, are the basis of the mood of this state.

If you are wondering which animals in New Zealand are unique representatives of the local fauna, then you it will be interesting to know more about the flora and fauna of these islands in the Pacific Ocean.

A thousand years ago, when there were no permanent residents on the islands, mammals did not live on the territory of New Zealand, except for two species of bats, as well as whales, sea lions and seals that lived in coastal waters.

As soon as Polynesians began to actively settle New Zealand lands, dogs and rats appeared on the islands, and later Europeans brought goats, cows, pigs, cats and mice to New Zealand.

Such a turn of events became a real test. for the fauna of the islands. Rabbits, rats, stoats, ferrets and cats, which were brought for hunting, reached large sizes because they had no natural enemies.

This caused great harm to agriculture, as well as to the health of the population. Flora and fauna of New Zealand was under real threat!

To date, New Zealand's environmental authorities carefully control the flora and fauna New Zealand, and some areas have been completely freed from animals that pose a threat to fauna and flora.

Animals of New Zealand that can be named the brightest representatives of the fauna this country:

• Kiwi bird;
• kea parrot;
• owl parrot;
• tuatara;
• European hedgehog.

Interesting fact! In New Zealand, they found the remains of the flightless giant birds moi, exterminated more than five hundred years ago, whose height was three and a half meters.

Animals of New Zealand are also freshwater fish species, of which there are twenty-nine species. Eight of them are now on the verge of extinction. Also in this country lives more than 40 species of ants.

Why there are no snakes in New Zealand

For a long period of time it was believed that in New Zealand snakes don't live.

But in the 2000s a group of researchers from Australia and New Zealand discovered the remains of these reptiles.

This discovery was proof that approximately 15-20 million years ago snakes still lived in New Zealand.

But for what reason these animals became extinct is not known to this day. Some scholars suggest that it happened because of the ice age.

snakes just couldn't stand the cold, and since New Zealand is located at a fairly remote distance from civilization, new species of reptiles could not be brought here in time.

The question arises, “Why aren’t snakes brought to New Zealand today?”. Of course, if there was such a need, snakes could be brought here, for example, from neighboring Australia, but that's not the point. The fact is that snakes in New Zealand outlawed.

Attention! Breeding or keeping this reptile at home is strictly prohibited! Also, a fine will be imposed on those who accidentally saw a snake, but did not report it to the relevant authorities.

But still, in New Zealand there are snakes, only not terrestrial, but sea ones - the already visible sea krait and yellow-bellied bonito. These reptiles were only kept alive because they do not crawl on land and almost never found off the coast of New Zealand.

So why is the government so trembling and categorical relate to the fact that snakes did appear in New Zealand? The answer is that the snakes would immediately exterminate main symbol countries - the kiwi bird.

However, despite tight control, there is still a certain plus in the absence of snakes in New Zealand - the country is considered one of the safest countries in the world for outdoor travel.

Flora of New Zealand

The plants of New Zealand are approximately two thousand different different types , 70% of which are endemic to the islands.

As regards New Zealand world famous forests in which the most cult films, then they are divided into two types - evergreen in the south and mixed subtropical in the north.

Artificial forests, that is, planted by man, cover an area of ​​​​about 2 million hectares. These are forests of radiant pine, which was brought to New Zealand in the 19th century by colonists. The radiant pine forest, which is located in the Kaingaroa Forest area, is the largest on the planet artificial plantation.

In addition, on the New Zealand islands liver moss grows, which is here a large number of. To date, more than six hundred of its varieties are known on the territory of this state, of which half are endemic.

Also growing in New Zealand thirty kinds of forget-me-nots of the seventy known in the world.

The flora of New Zealand is also known for its ferns. This marvelous, since the New Zealand climate is far from the most suitable for this plant.

Cyathea silver or silver fern - one of the national symbols New Zealand.

As for the variety of herbs, the island of the archipelago grows 187 species of herbaceous plants, of which 157 grow only in New Zealand.

Like this ambiguous and interesting flora and fauna in New Zealand. A large number of different types of birds - from exotic small birds to huge flightless representatives of the avifauna. Undoubtedly, the New Zealand plant and animal world is one of the most interesting to know.

an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 1930 km southeast of Australia. It became an English colony in 1840, when the leaders of the native Maori tribes recognized the supreme authority of the English queen, while receiving the rights of British subjects and retaining to a certain extent tribal autonomy. Currently, New Zealand is an independent state within the Commonwealth, led by Great Britain, one of the founding members of the UN.

Most settlers in New Zealand over the past century and a half have been British, but after 1945 there has been an influx of immigrants from Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, from the islands of the South Pacific, and in Lately- from Asia. Indigenous people - Maori make up 14.5% of the population, and their cultural heritage increasingly established as an integral part of the country's culture.

The area of ​​New Zealand is 268,021 sq. km, and the population is 3781.5 thousand people (1997). This country includes two large islands - the North (113,729 sq. km), where approximately 3/4 of the population is concentrated, and the South (150,437 sq. km), as well as a number of smaller islands - Stewart (1680 sq. km) off the southern the tip of the South Island, Chatham Island (963 sq. km) and several more remote ones with a total area of ​​1015 sq. km. km; of these, the only group of any significant size is the Auckland Islands (567 sq. km). Only the islands of Kermadec and Campbell, where weather stations are located, have a permanent population. New Zealand also has jurisdiction over Tokelau (a group of three small atolls in the South Pacific Ocean) and the Antarctic sector in the Ross Sea region (coastal land and nearby islands).

Terrain relief. New Zealand stretches for more than 1600 km, its maximum width 450 km. Mountainous and hilly terrain prevails; more than 3/4 of the territory is located above 200 m above sea level. The plains cover approx. 10% of the total area.

South Island. In the western part of the island rises a chain folded mountains- Southern Alps. Here is the snow-capped Mount Cook, the most high point New Zealand (3754 m). At least 233 other peaks rise above 2300 m. There are 360 ​​glaciers in the mountains; the largest of them are Tasmana, Franz Joseph and Fox. During the Pleistocene ice ages, the glaciers were thicker and repeatedly descended into the Canterbury Plain on the east coast and occupied a large part of modern Otago in the south. These areas are characterized by deep U-shaped valleys, strongly dissected relief and cold elongated lakes - Te Anau, Manapouri, Wakatipu and Javea.

The Canterbury Plain is the most extensive lowland in New Zealand with a length of approx. 320 km and 64 km wide - located in the east of the island. It is composed of powerful pebbles covered with a layer of fine-grained sands and clay up to 3 m thick. Wide valleys of glacial feeding rivers - Waimakariri, Rakaia and Rangitata - have been worked out here, the waters of which usually only partially fill the channel lined with pebbles. The longest river South Island and the most full-flowing within New Zealand - Kluta (322 km), draining the Otago plateau.

North Island. mountain system The South Island, interrupted by the narrow Cook Strait, continues on the North Island with the Tararua, Ruahine, Kaimanawa and Huiarau ranges. To the north and west of the Kaimanawa range extends a plateau covered with volcanic ash, lava and pumice deposits. Three volcanic peaks rise above it - Ruapehu (2797 m a.s.l.), Tongariro (1968 m a.s.l.) and Ngauruhoe (2290 m a.s.l.). To the west of the plateau rises the symmetrical Mount Egmont (2518 m above sea level), dominating this part of the country. In general, mountainous and hilly terrain occupies 63% of the area north island. The most extensive areas of the lowlands are located at the foot of Mount Egmont, in the area of ​​​​the city of Palmerston North (Manawatu - Horofenua), near Lake. Wairarapa, the cities of Hamilton and Morrinsville (Waikato - Hauraki), as well as around Auckland. Small flat areas are also located in Northland along the shores of Plenty and Hawk bays. In the center of the North Island is the largest lake in New Zealand - Taupo (area 606 sq. km, depth approx. 159 m). The longest river in the country, the Waikato (425 km), flows from it. Hot springs, geysers and mud pots are found around Rotorua and Wairakei. In Wairakei, geothermal steam is used to generate electricity. On far north The islands are home to vast fields of sand dunes. In some places along the west coast, there are outcrops of ferruginous sands on the beaches.

Earthquakes. Compared to other countries located within the Pacific seismic belt, the level of seismic activity in New Zealand is low. Although earthquakes and small shocks occur quite often in some areas, they only occasionally lead to destruction. Tremors of 7 on the Richter scale occur on average no more than once every 10 years.

Seismic activity is greatest in the North Island approximately east and south of the imaginary line between Whakatane and Havera, and in the South Island north of the line connecting Fowlwind Point to Banks Peninsula. The most destructive earthquake was recorded in the vicinity of Napier in 1931.

Climate. The climate of New Zealand is even and humid. The difference in seasonal temperatures is small, there is a lot of rain, but the lack of sunny days also not felt. However, climatic conditions vary from one region of the country to another. This is partly due to the significant longitudinal extent of New Zealand, which leads to the fact that in its extreme north the climate is warm and humid, without frost, and in the extreme south in the interior of the island it is cold and dry. A certain role is also played by mountain ranges located in the west and in the center of the islands and protecting east coasts from winds blowing from the west. In general, the climate on the South Island is more severe than on the North Island, due to the distance from the equator, proximity to cold seas and large absolute altitudes. especially cold and strong winds blow a significant part of the year in the highlands of both islands, where the main amount of precipitation falls in the form of snow. As it accumulates, it forms glaciers. Almost the entire population of the country lives in areas below 600 m above sea level, so eternal snow does not cause him any concern. On west coast The climate of the South Island is very humid, with an annual rainfall exceeding 2000 mm. The plains of Canterbury are much drier and are sometimes blown by hot and dry northwesterly winds of the foehn type, sometimes by cold, rainy southerly winds. Throughout the North Island, except for the inland mountainous regions, both summers and winters are mild, with moderate to heavy precipitation throughout its territory.

Vegetable world. In the 100 years after 1850, New Zealand was transformed from a wooded country into a vast pasture. Now only 29% of its territory (7.9 million hectares) is occupied by forests, of which 6.4 million hectares are occupied by natural preserved forests and another 1.5 million hectares are artificial plantations (mainly pines). Pinus radiata). Of the more than a hundred species of trees growing here, only a few have economic importance, including four species of conifers - cypress dacridium, totar's legs, paniculate and dacridium - and one broad-leaved species - notophagus (southern beech). The famous and once widespread forests of New Zealand agathis are now preserved only in reserves in the north of the North Island.

At the time of the development of the country by Europeans, vast areas in New Zealand, especially on the South Island, were occupied by tall grass turf grasslands. To date, they have survived only in the mountains, and on the plains they are replaced by pastures from introduced European cereals (chaff, hedgehogs, fescue) and clover. In the east of the North Island, communities of the local dantonia grass are still quite widespread.

Soils. In general, the soils of New Zealand are poor in humus and infertile. Everywhere, with the exception of periodically flooded and silt-covered areas, large amounts of fertilizer are required to maintain productive pastures.

The most common zonal soil types in New Zealand are brown-gray, yellow-gray and yellow-brown. The first are typical for dry intermountain basins about. Southern with cereal vegetation, receiving less than 500 mm of precipitation. The areas occupied by them are used mainly as sheep pastures and only occasionally for agriculture. In more humid regions, transitional from cereal steppes to mixed forests, and in the lower part of the eastern slopes of the mountains, yellow-gray soils are common. They are more fertile and are used for intensive agriculture (for example, on the Canterbury Plain) and as pastures. For more humid regions with dissected hilly terrain and forest vegetation, strongly leached poor yellow-brown soils are characteristic. In places in such areas, gley-podzolic soils (“paquihi”) are developed on the clay weathering crust, as, for example, in Westland on the South Island, or subtropical clay soils, common under kauri pine forests in Northland. In the profile of such soils, at a shallow depth, there is a dense waterproof horizon, which makes drainage and plowing difficult.

About 6 million hectares are occupied by various azonal and intrazonal soils, the properties of which are determined by the parent rock. These are fertile soils developed on volcanic ash in the central part of the North Island, peaty soils of the Waikato Valley, alluvial soils of river valleys, as well as soils of drained areas of the sea coast.

Almost half of the country's area (13 million hectares) is occupied by mountain soils, usually thin and underdeveloped, often gravelly. About 1.6 million hectares of them are in the upper belt of mountains, which is practically devoid of vegetation. The soils on the slopes are subject to erosion, so the burning and cutting down of the forests and turf grasslands that covered them in many places led to deplorable results.

Animal world. The fauna of New Zealand is similar to the fauna of some other regions of the Southern Hemisphere, there are endemic species and even genera, and, with the exception of two species of bats, there are no placental mammals. The birds are the most interesting. Only here were found the remains of extinct moas, or dinornis, giant flightless birds, some species of which reached 3.6 m in height. They were completely exterminated, probably c. 500 years ago. The forests are still inhabited by the flightless kiwi, which is depicted on the country's emblem. Another flightless bird, the New Zealand sultanka, or takahe, was considered extinct, but was rediscovered in 1948.

NATURE
Shores. The islands of New Zealand stretch from the northeast. to the southwest at 1700 km. The shores are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, bordered sand dunes or rocky. Most large bays: Hauraki, Plenty, Hawk, Tasman, Canterbury.

Relief. The islands are mountainous, more than 3/4 of the territory is occupied by mountains, hills and hills. Low-lying areas are located along the coast of the ocean (the Southland Lowland on the South Island) and along river valleys. Northern about. less mountainous, in the center is the Volcanic Plateau, where seismic activity is actively expressed. Earthquakes are frequent (100-200 per year), there are active volcanoes, geysers, hot mineral springs, exits of hot jets of steam and gases. On the South Island stretches high mountain range Southern Alps. Average Height there are more than 2000 m, the largest is 3764 m (Kuka). Western slopes The mountains are steep, the eastern ones gently descend to the foothills of the Canterbury Plains (the largest flat area in New Zealand).

Geological structure and minerals. New Zealand belongs to the Cenozoic geosynclinal region. Along the northwestern coast of the South Island. the Khokanoe zone stretches, composed of Paleozoic geosynclinal formations, crumpled into folds and intruded by Permian-Upper Cretaceous granitoids. They unconformably overlie shallow deposits of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. To the southeast, separated by a fault, is the Alpine zone, which also captures the western and central part Northern about. Here, on the cuts of the Upper Carboniferous, a stratum of siliceous-graywacke rocks of the Permian - Lower Cretaceous, crumpled into folds with the formation of covers, lies. They are overlain by weakly deformed marine Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene-Neogene sediments, as well as Anthropogenic rhyolites and ignimbrites. To the south-east The Northland zone extends from the North Island, within which geosynclinal Cenozoic deposits accumulated. At southwest coast Northern about. in North Taranaki Bay - offshore oil and gas fields; there are also insignificant reserves of iron, copper and polymetallic ores, gold, hard and brown coal, etc.

Climate subtropical, marine, temperate in the extreme south. average temperature July (winter) 12°C in the north and 5°C in the south; January (summer) 19°C in the north and 14°C in the south. Precipitation occurs in all seasons; to W. to mountainous areas 2000-5000 mm, on V. 400-700 mm per year. Snow happens only in the mountains. total area glaciation in the Southern Alps 1000 km2. Among large glaciers the most famous are the Tasman glacier (length 29 km), Franz Josef, Fox.

Inland waters. The rivers begin in the mountains, are full-flowing, rich in hydropower. The most major river- Waikato (length 354 km) on the North Island, navigable for 100 km. Many lakes of volcanic, tectonic and glacial origin. Lake Taupo (area 612 km2) on the North Island. largest in Oceania.

Soils and vegetation. In subtropical regions, yellow earths are common, on the Canterbury Plains - chernozems, in the basins of the South Island. - chestnut, in mountainous areas - mountain forest and mountain meadow soils. Forests, preserved mainly only in the most remote mountainous areas, occupy 6.0 million hectares (23.3% of the territory); 5.7 million hectares are forests of local (kauri, namakhi, rimu, tarairo, etc.) and 0.6 million hectares of introduced species (pines, cypresses, poplars). More than 75% of local vegetation species are endemic. Perennial evergreen species predominate.

Animal world. The fauna is the most ancient in the world (see the New Zealand subregion), poor in mammals (there are only rats, dogs, bats); Of the reptiles, the tuatara is interesting. As a result of predatory hunting, increased reproduction of rats, cats, dogs and some domestic animals (rabbits, goats and pigs) brought by settlers and running wild here, deforestation destroyed entire populations of animals (and especially birds), and plant communities were destroyed. Most species have become rare (sultan chicken, kiwi, owl parrot, shepherds).

Protected areas. Available 9 national parks(the largest is Fiordland on the South Island), some small islands around New Zealand have been turned into bird sanctuaries.

Exceptionally unique. It has been preserved in its original form due to long historical isolation and remoteness from other continents. Some species of animals and birds, for example, the symbol of the country, the flightless kiwi bird or the "living dinosaur" tuatara lizard, whose closest relatives died out 65 million years ago, live only here.

Skeletons of a giant were found in local caves. birds of new zealand- moa. It reached 3.5 meters in height and was the only bird in the history of the Earth, completely devoid of wings. These unique creatures were exterminated by the Maori about 400 years ago. A little later, presumably only about 200 years ago, the largest known species of eagles, the Haast eagle, which had a wingspan of up to 3 meters and weighed up to 15 kg, was exterminated.

About 1000 years ago, before the appearance of permanent human settlements on the islands, mammals were historically completely absent. The exceptions were two species of bats and marine animals living in coastal waters: dolphins, whales, killer whales, fur seals and lions. There are also no snakes in New Zealand, and of the spiders, only the katipō is poisonous.

All carnivores New Zealand animals: rats, mice, ferrets, ermines, opossums, dogs and cats - were brought to New Zealand by colonizers - Polynesians and Europeans. The appearance of some of them had an extremely negative impact on the flora and fauna of the islands. Only in last years through the efforts of New Zealand's environmental authorities, some offshore islands were spared from predatory animals, which allows us to hope for the preservation of primordial natural conditions there.

Birds are held in high esteem in New Zealand. When you get off the plane at Auckland Airport, you will immediately hear the many-voiced bird singing, and while relaxing on the lake, you risk being surrounded by a herd of geese, ducks and swans. The smartest bird in New Zealand and in the whole world - the kea parrot - a thunderstorm of cars, cameras and backpacks left unattended. From others birds of new zealand it is worth noting takahe (takahe) or wingless sultan (she was considered extinct, but was discovered again in 1948), kakapo (moreporkowl - an owl parrot that disturbs sleep at night with its loud cries) and sweet-voiced tui (tui).

New Zealand waters - native home for the smallest dolphins in the world (1.4 meters) - Hector's dolphins. They can easily be found near the coast of the South Island.

Flora of New Zealand very diverse: it has about 2,000 plant species, 80% of which are endemic, that is, they grow exclusively in this country. Especially a lot in nature of new zealand ferns. One of them - Cyathea silver or silver fern - is a symbol of New Zealand and is depicted on its unofficial flag.

Another green attraction New Zealand - trees kauri (kauri). They reach colossal sizes and live for many hundreds of years. No wonder so many Maori myths and legends are associated with them. The most famous kauri tree is called Tane Mahuta, named after the Maori god of the forests. It reaches a height of 51 meters, its girth is 13 meters, and its age is approaching 2000 years.

beautiful new zealand tree- pohutukawa (pohutukawa). It blooms with fluffy bright red flowers from mid-December to mid-January, and for this it received its second name - the Christmas tree (NewZealand'sChristmastree).

New Zealand's landscapes are delightfully diverse: mountains, valleys, plateaus, rivers and lakes, beaches, glaciers, geysers, volcanoes and fjords - it has it all in a relatively compact area. This is what makes it so exciting. Today you can sunbathe on the beach or admire flora of New Zealand and tomorrow ride on skiing, and for this you do not need to go to distant lands.

20% of the country's territory is occupied National parks and reserves with free access for everyone. All parks have excellent hiking trails equipped with information boards and places. Also in New Zealand there are two territories with the status of "World Heritage Site". These are Tongariro in the central part of the North Island and Te Wahipounamu in the southwest of the South Island. The latter includes the Westland / Tai Poutini, Mount Aspiring, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Fiordland national parks.

In 2005, New Zealand became the first country in the world to introduce a carbon tax. As one of the important promising directions plans to become the first country in the world to have a neutral balance of carbon emissions by 2020, and thereby achieve recognition of the status of the most clean country in the world.

The state of New Zealand is located mainly on the South and North Islands, separated by the Cook Strait, also includes territorially about 700 small islands, including uninhabited ones in central area Polynesian triangle.

Geographic characteristics

The state covers an area of ​​268,680 square kilometers, and the length coastline is more than 15 thousand kilometers. The largest is the South Island, where a quarter of the country's population lives.

According to the latest data, more than 4.5 million people live in the state, and most of are a Caucasian race of various nationalities.

Nature

Deserving the most attention Mountain peaks Alps, among which the highest is Mount Cook, which has the official name of Aoraki. In addition to it, on the territory of the South Island alone there are 18 major peaks with a height of more than 3 thousand meters.

The highest point on the North Island is the Ruapehu volcano, which is this moment is active, and reaches a height of 2797 meters. The North Island itself is less densely populated, and has 5 of New Zealand's 6 dangerous volcanic zones within its territory...

New Zealand has a large number of lakes and rivers, large and small, there are more than 3 thousand lakes. The largest lake state is located in the central part of the North Island and is called Taupo, a mirror area of ​​​​616 km 2, there is a lake in the caldera of an extinct volcano.

It is from Lake Taupo that the Waikato River originates - the most long river countries with a length of 425 km ...

From the west, Zealand is washed by the Tasman Sea, which separates it from Australia, and in the East, the coast goes around Pacific Ocean, connects their waters with the Cook Strait. The territorial waters of the state are 12 nautical miles, which exceeds the territory of the land of New Zealand. In the ocean near the main islands there are many small land formations, most of which are completely unsuitable for human habitation ...

The flora of the state includes approximately 2,000 varieties of plants, and forests are represented on the territory of the islands, both subtropical and evergreen. Recently, green spaces have been greatly reduced, since the industrial development of New Zealand lands is using quite actively Natural resources countries. It is necessary to restore clearings with the help of artificial plantings.

The natural fauna of New Zealand is unique and full of unique species of rodents and birds. Until recently, mammals were completely absent on the territory of these islands, and appeared only along with the process of development of these lands by the colonialists. The sea is rich in fish, and has up to 3 thousand species...

The North Island has a subtropical climate, which gradually becomes temperate towards the South Island. The mountain ranges are characterized by a rather harsh and cold alpine climate, and the mountains themselves cover the territory of the South Island from warm western winds...

Resources

There are quite a lot of gas and oil deposits on the territory of the state, as well as reserves of gold and coal. Silver and iron sandstone can be found in some places. The country is rich in deposits of natural metals, lime resources and other minerals. However, the number of fossils is not large enough to become the basis for economic development countries...

In New Zealand, thanks to good climatic conditions agriculture is well developed, as well as the food industry and tourism. They are the main source of income for the state budget. The country actively cooperates with largest states world, exporting their products there.

culture

The country speaks two languages ​​- Maori and English. It is English that is used for everyday communication and business meetings, but Maori is officially recognized as the second state language, and the policy is aimed at increasing its significance for the people of New Zealand in order to preserve the Polynesian culture.

Quite frequent interracial and interethnic marriages take place on the territory of the country, which forms in the state a fairly loyal attitude towards the traditions of various peoples. Europeans make up 75% here, and Maori - 14.7%. Other nationalities are represented by smaller communities. Most people adhere to Christianity, although there are enough big amount and other religions...