The Waikato region boasts a remarkable diversity of ecosystem types from warm coastal forests on the Coromandel to alpine environments on the Central Plateau. A major plant distributional boundary, latitude 38 degrees, runs across the region and marks either the northern (e.g., silver beech) or southern limit (e.g., kauri) of some species. Ninety-one terrestrial and wetland ecosystems have been identified as occurring in the region based on the national ecosystem classification system (Singers and Rogers 2014).
Types of ecosystems found in the region include:
- Forest
- Alpine
- Wetlands
- Coastal Dunes
- Cliffs
- Braided Rivers
- Saline
- Geothermal
- Caves
- Scrub
- Exotic dominated vegetation
To find out more about ecosystems found in the Waikato including maps, current distributions, typical species, and key processes driving their distribution, read or download the publication.
