Welcome to Bio-Connect - Phase 1

Aim

The purpose of this web-based mapping service is to provide improved access to biodiversity data within the Auckland region to planners, ecologists and contributing agencies tasked with land management and protection. Data included on this site includes vegetation cover, location and distribution of originally rare ecosystems, sites where threatened species are present and current areas of land under protection.

Why

This data was compiled and analysed by the Department of Conservation for the Nature Heritage Fund’s (NHF) Auckland Protection Strategy. The strategy, produced in a hard-copy report, provides information to assist agencies with determining priorities for protection of natural features and values within the Auckland region. Data included in the strategy has been made available in this web mapping format to increase accessibility of the data and improve opportunities for analyses and interpretation.

How

A vegetation map was first compiled using a regional vegetation classification. This involved mapping source data from Protected Natural Area Programme (PNAP) surveys, published reports, digital and paper maps, and aerial and satellite imagery. A reserves layer was then created, compiling data from land trusts and government agencies, to record the protection status of private and public land parcels. Finally threatened species and rare ecosystem information was compiled from published reports and existing databases maintained by various agencies. The vegetation and threatened species data cover both private and public land.

Who

Due to the sensitive nature of threatened species locations, this service is restricted to appropriate planners and ecologists from within contributing organisations and is not made available as a public service.

More

Information about the data sources (date collected, methods of collection) and acknowledgement requirements is set out in the adjoining pages linked above. Also available are the contact details for the data administrators for each of the datasets. These people have agreed to field queries for additional information and to receive new data to improve the base layers.

Action

The base data layers were collected and compiled from both historic and current records for the analyses that underpin the NHF Protection Strategy. Due to the range of sources and time of collection, the data does contain weaknesses in currency and consistency of coverage. This information can be updated, however, as new data is made available. The information gathered is thought to be sufficiently useful for initiating a joint effort to build a regional biodiversity information repository and dissemination tool.

Contact

The value of this digital mapping resource depends primarily on information being accurate and up-to-date. As this data is sourced from several government and non-government organisations, we ask that if users are aware of the availability of more recent data, that they contact staff at the Department of Conservation so the BioConnect data layers can be updated.

For data updates, comments or feedback, please email:

Briony Senior, Conservation Support Officer - GIS, bsenior@doc.govt.nz
John Galilee, Conservation Support Supervisor, jgalilee@doc.govt.nz

Acknowledgements

The following agencies have kindly contributed data to this project: Rodney District Council, North Shore City Council, Auckland City Council, Manukau City Council, Waitakere City Council, Papakura District Council, Franklin District Council, Landcare Research, Environment Waikato, Waikato District Council, QEII National Trust, National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Ornithological Society of New Zealand OSNZ and the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Contact | Copyright 2009