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Ecosystem service maps of Coromandel estuaries

TR 2017/37
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Report: TR 2017/37

Author: Michael Townsend (National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA))

About this report

Estuaries provide a range of valuable ‘ecosystem services’ for humans such as food provision, water filtration, nutrient regulation and storm protection.

The Waikato Regional Policy Statement (2016) identifies the importance of recognising and maintaining or enhancing ecosystem services. This study describes the development of ecosystem service maps for Waikato estuaries, and builds upon previous work that mapped intertidal habitats (i.e. the type of plant and animal communities).

The habitat types are linked to different ecosystem services using a matrix approach. For example, seagrass beds provide primary production, habitat structure and retain and stabilise sediment, while cockle beds provide food, sequester carbon, and process and store nutrients.

The ecosystem service maps can be used to understand which parts of our estuaries are important for different ecosystem services and for communicating the value of these important ecosystems to our stakeholders.

Read or download the report

Ecosystem service maps of Coromandel estuaries [PDF, 9.9 MB]

Contents
Executive summary
1 Introduction
2  Adaptation of the ecosystem services matrix to WRC habitats
2.1 Adjusting matrix scores
2.2 Service selection
2.3 Confidence
2.4 Spatial adaptation
3 Ecosystem service maps for Coromandel estuaries
4 Ecosystem service maps: recommendations for their use and future improvements
4.1 Additional layers
4.2 Future improvements
  Acknowledgements
Glossary of abbreviations and terms
References
Appendix A: Ecosystem Service Matrix Tables
Appendix B: Supporting literature