Wetlands Help Keep N.Z. Clean and Green!
05:08:28 PM - 2007-03-07
WETLANDS SLOWLY DISAPPEARING OVER THE YEARS IN
NEW ZEALAND!
Over the past 200 years or so the number of wetlands in New Zealand have been reduced by over 90%.
A vast diversity of plants and animals has also been significantly depleted because of urban expansion and the pressure to increase agriculture production, in today's emvironment wetlands can play a critical role in the farm system, by improving water quality and acting as a water storage and flow regulator.
Wetlands can be a coastal estuary or lagoon, a fresh water lagoon, a braided river, a swamp or marsh, a high mountain bog or a large stock water dam.
Wetlands are important for New Zealand farming systems for the following reason's.
Biological, chemical and physical processes occurring in wetlands all alter water quality as water flows through it.
Flow rates are slowed down which allow sediment particles to settle out, improving water clarity.
Plant surfaces (leaves, stems and roots) offer sites for microbial activity and provide for filtration and obsorption and add oxygen to water.
The slow release of water from a wetland, maintains stream flows and ground water levels during summer or periods of drought.
As we have had for the month of February, the water for our farm comes from the high ridges to a water dam, which nearly dried up, would have left our stock with no water, the Urenui River got quite low with water also.
February 2007 rainfall was .25mm, the lowest we have recorded in the 4 years off recording rain.
Much diffrent to February 2004 when 8.20mm of rain was recorded, which brought bad flooding problems to lot's of New Zealander's not only farmers.
As writing this blog things are looking up, for the dry conditions in Okoki valley at Urenui.
March 7 2007 we have had .20mm of rain, it has made the pasture look healthly again, it will help to keep New Zealand clean and green.
Wetlands can also provide land and scenery values, food production, information for science and education, recreation and tourism opportunities. It also provides vegetation and wildlife in our Beautiful Valley in Okoki Urenui New Zealand.
Elsie Hagley |
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