Plant occurrence data collected by Kaitiaki o te Ngahere during Browse Monitoring\nSurveys conducted within the Nelson City Council Waterworks Reserves,\nspecifically in the Maitai and Roding catchments.
The dataset comprises observations recorded during surveys carried out in 2013,\n2015, 2018, and 2023. These observations were collected in 1.4 m-radius plots\nalong randomly located transects and include species presence and richness up\nto 200 cm in height, as well as establishment status (native/introduced) and a\nBrowse Index for individuals taller than 30 cm.
","language":"eng","homepage":"http://www.kaitiakirestoration.co.nz","logoUrl":"https://ipt.gbif.org.nz/logo.do?r=nelson_brook_conservation_reserve_pest_plants","citation":{"text":"Myer B, Jadin I, Cochrane P (2025). Nelson City Council Waterworks Reserves Browse Monitoring Data, 2013-2023. Version 1.1. Kaitiaki o te Ngahere. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/sqhhcz accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-15.","citationProvidedBySource":false},"contactsCitation":[{"key":6230579,"abbreviatedName":"Myer B","firstName":"Bradley","lastName":"Myer","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":6230580,"abbreviatedName":"Jadin I","firstName":"Isaline","lastName":"Jadin","roles":["ORIGINATOR","METADATA_AUTHOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":6230581,"abbreviatedName":"Cochrane P","firstName":"Phillip","lastName":"Cochrane","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]}],"lockedForAutoUpdate":false,"createdBy":"89b9c062-a1ba-4018-bdd7-1d7a7f4a1978","modifiedBy":"89b9c062-a1ba-4018-bdd7-1d7a7f4a1978","created":"2025-08-28T01:43:35.693+00:00","modified":"2026-04-06T21:49:37.769+00:00","contacts":[{"key":6230579,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Bradley","lastName":"Myer","position":["Nelson Branch Manager"],"email":["brad@kaitiakirestoration.co.nz"],"phone":["0220648599"],"homepage":["https://kaitiakirestoration.co.nz/"],"organization":"Kaitiaki o te Ngahere","address":["33 Vanguard Street"],"city":"Nelson Bays - 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J., & Nugent, G. (2004). Seedling ratios: A simple method for assessing ungulate impacts on forest understories. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 32(1), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.2193/0091-7648(2004)32[137:SRASMF]2.0.CO;2","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Sweetapple, P. (2022). Evaluation of seedling ratio monitoring in the Nelson City Council Waterworks Reserve: Evaluation of seedling ratio data from an ungulate control area, Nelson (Contract Report No. LC4162). Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. https://envirolink.govt.nz/","citationProvidedBySource":false}],"curatorialUnits":[],"taxonomicCoverages":[{"coverages":[{"scientificName":"Coriariaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Canellales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Monimiaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Araliaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Pittosporaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Myrtaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Dipsacales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Cucurbitales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Thymelaeaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Tracheophyta","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Pinopsida","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Asterales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Winteraceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Blechnaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Plantaginaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Sapindaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Rosaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Plantae","rank":{"verbatim":"kingdom","interpreted":"KINGDOM"}},{"scientificName":"Ranunculaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Cyperaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Ericales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Dennstaedtiaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Polypodiaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Cunoniaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Elaeocarpaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Magnoliopsida","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Fagales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Asparagaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Laurales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Ranunculales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Pinaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Polypodiopsida","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Poales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Malpighiales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Cruciferae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Pteridaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Myrtales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Asparagales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Polygonaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Polypodiales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Hymenophyllales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Ericaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Compositae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Malvales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Rubiaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Dryopteridaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Rousseaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Juncaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Boraginales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Fabaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Violaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Lamiales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Urticaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Caryophyllales","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Psilotaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Thelypteridaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Nothofagaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMILY"}},{"scientificName":"Boraginaceae","rank":{"verbatim":"family","interpreted":"FAMIL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City Council Waterworks Reserves","boundingBox":{"minLatitude":-41.37325,"maxLatitude":-41.28412,"minLongitude":173.25809,"maxLongitude":173.413272,"globalCoverage":false}}],"temporalCoverages":[{"@type":"range","start":"2013-05-23T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2013-07-31T00:00:00.000+00:00"},{"@type":"range","start":"2015-07-08T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2015-08-06T00:00:00.000+00:00"},{"@type":"range","start":"2018-06-27T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2018-08-22T00:00:00.000+00:00"},{"@type":"range","start":"2023-07-17T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2023-08-04T00:00:00.000+00:00"}],"keywordCollections":[{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Nelson","Plant","Water catchments","Browse Index","Observation","Occurrence"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["Observation"]}],"project":{"title":"Nelson City Council Waterworks Reserves Browse Monitoring Surveys","contacts":[{"type":"AUTHOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Isaline","lastName":"Jadin","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"REVIEWER","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Brad","lastName":"Myer","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"REVIEWER","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Phillip","lastName":"Cochrane","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}],"funding":"The project is funded by Nelson City Council (NCC), which commissioned Kaitiaki o te Ngahere Ltd to carry out browse monitoring surveys in the Waterworks Reserves in 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2023.","awards":[],"studyAreaDescription":"The study area is the Nelson City Council goat control area within the Maitai and Roding waterworks catchments, located south and east of Nelson City. Together, these catchments cover approximately 14,500 hectares (excluding roads, lakes, riverbeds, and pine plantations). The ongoing 22 transects are located within the 4,675-hectare goat control area, which lies within the larger waterworks catchment boundary.","designDescription":"In May 2013, the Nelson City Council (NCC) commissioned Kaitiaki o te Ngahere to establish and survey 15 transects that were randomly located and permanently marked in the Maitai and Roding catchments. Each transect consisted of 20 plots spaced 20 metres apart along a true north bearing, giving a total length of 400 metres per transect. The first survey was carried out between 23 May and 31 July 2013. The same transects were revisited between 8 July and 6 August 2015. \n\nA review of the survey design in 2018 resulted in the removal of 5 of the original 15 transects and the addition of 12 new ones, resulting in a revised network of 22 “ongoing” transects. While some of the 2013–2015 transects were incorporated into this new network, the 2018 survey measured 12 different transects between 27 June and 22 August 2018. The full revised network of 22 transects was subsequently surveyed between 17 July and 4 August 2023.\n\nWithin each plot, observers recorded all plants taller than 0.3 m but shorter than 2 m within a 1.4 m radius (“Browse Tier”). Only species capable of attaining a free-standing height of at least 30 cm in the absence of ungulates were included. Seedlings shorter than 0.3 m were recorded within a 0.49 m radius (“Ground Tier”), with cotyledon-only seedlings excluded. Species were also categorised into habit classes such as climbers, herbs and woody species. \n\nFollowing a review of the methodology by Sweetapple in 2022, a few changes were applied in the 2023 survey compared with previous surveys to increase the efficiency and robustness of data collection and analysis. In addition to the increased number of transects, the Browse Tier was redefined as plants 15–200 cm above the ground, and only the presence/absence of each species per plot was recorded rather than counts. All annual-herbs, ground-ferns, tall-monocotyledons, short-woody and climbing species were also excluded. Ripogonum scandens (supplejack) was included as an exception due to its self-supporting growth habit.\n\nFor Browse Tier species, a Browse Index (BI) was visually assessed to quantify ungulate browsing intensity on individual plants, providing an index of ungulate abundance. A BI value was assigned to each plant species with foliage using a 5-point scale:\n-\t0: No ungulate browse \n-\t1: 0–25% of stems or shoots browsed\n-\t2: 26–50% of stems or shoots browsed\n-\t3: 51–75% of stems or shoots browsed\n-\t4: 76–100% of stems or shoots browsed\n\nObservers also recorded:\n-\tphysiography characteristics (drainage, aspect, slope, and altitude),\n-\tlocation of transect origin and plot centre,\n-\tvegetation type,\n-\tthe percentage of the 1.4 m plot with recent pig digging,\n-\tthe percentage of the plot potentially available for pig digging,\n-\tanimal sightings and signs,\n-\tsite-specific comments,\n-\tfrom 2018 onwards, the presence/absence of faecal pellets within the 0.49 m plot (noting species, quantity, and condition), and \n-\tthe presence of weed species (species name, age class, and estimated distribution).\n\nAdditionally, from 2018, plant species were assigned to palatability classes (high, moderate, low) based on existing literature.\n\nAll collected data were checked, sorted, and cleaned for provision to NCC and for future analysis. This included calculating the Faecal Pellet Index (FPI) and the Seedling Ratio Index (SRI). FPI measures the ratio of faecal pellet presence to absence by species per transect. SRI is the ratio of species richness of tall seedlings (Browse Tier, 30–200 cm) to that of short seedlings (Ground Tier, <30 cm), calculated across species or palatability preference classes. Developed by Sweetapple and Nugent (2004), this index is used to assess and monitor the impact of introduced ungulates on indigenous forest understories. The method assumes that short seedling richness is largely unaffected by browsing, whereas palatable tall seedling richness is reduced due to selective browsing and growth suppression. Higher SRI values indicate stronger ungulate impacts. Sweetapple and Nugent demonstrated a strong negative correlation between SRI of high-preference plants and ungulate abundance, confirming this method as a reliable indicator of browsing pressure and, by extension, the effectiveness of animal control efforts.","relatedProjects":[],"abstract":"The Nelson City Council commissioned Kaitiaki o te Ngahere to conduct browse monitoring surveys in the Maitai and Roding Waterworks Reserves, which together provide Nelson City’s domestic water supply. The project was initially established to provide short- to medium-term vegetation outcome monitoring for the Council’s goat control programme. More broadly, it serves to evaluate the impacts of introduced ungulates on indigenous forest understories and biodiversity. Understanding these impacts is critical because ungulates cause significant damage to native flora and forest ecosystems, particularly in New Zealand, where vegetation evolved without mammalian herbivores and remains highly vulnerable to browsing (Sweetapple & Nugent, 2004). \n\nThe surveys, undertaken in 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2023, followed a methodology based on the Department of Conservation Goat/Pig Monitoring Strategy Sounds Area 2002 (olddm-880882) suggested by Tom Stein in 2002. This strategy uses the Seedling Ratio Index (SRI) developed by Sweetapple & Nugent (2004), along with additional indices, to provide a comprehensive assessment of ungulate impacts and abundance. Data collected include plant occurrence, browsing intensity, ungulate sign, and regeneration patterns, providing long-term ecological information to guide management interventions.\n\nResults from these surveys demonstrate that ungulates continue to have significant negative impacts on biodiversity. Recruitment of key palatable species is very low, and forest resilience to ongoing browsing and disturbance remains limited. This monitoring supports both biodiversity conservation and the protection of water quality within the catchments."},"samplingDescription":{"methodSteps":[]},"countryCoverage":[],"collections":[],"dataDescriptions":[],"dataLanguage":"eng","purpose":"The primary purpose of the Browse Monitoring Surveys in the Nelson City\nCouncil Waterworks Reserves is to assess and monitor the impact of ungulates\nand other introduced mammal on indigenous flora and biodiversity. Specifically,\nthe surveys aim to measure the effectiveness of goat control. Ongoing data\ncollection and analysis support understanding of ecological dynamics associated\nwith introduced mammal populations and provide evidence to guide and justify\nfuture pest management and conservation initiatives.
","introduction":"The Waterworks\nReserves are two large catchments located to the south and east of Nelson,\ndominated by native forest. These reserves are not only a critical source of\ndrinking water for Nelson City, but they also encompass ecologically and\ngeologically significant areas such as the Maitai and Roding catchments.\nIntroduced ungulates, including deer, goats, and pigs, pose a dual threat to\nthese ecosystems: they can degrade forest understories, hinder canopy\nregeneration, facilitate the spread of invasive plants, and potentially affect\nwater quality.
Recognizing these risks, Nelson City Council (NCC) contracted Kaitiaki o te Ngahere Ltd to\nimplement biennial browse monitoring surveys along randomly established\ntransects within the Waterworks catchment goat control area. A network of\ntransects was first established in 2013 and surveyed in 2013, 2015. The design\nwas revised and resurveyed in 2018 and again in 2023. Data were recorded in 1.4\nm-radius plots located every 20 metres along each transect.
Data collection focused on plant species presence and richness within the 0–200 cm height range\nin 2013, 2015, and 2018 surveys, and on species presence within the 15-200 cm\nheight range in 2023, along with measures of ungulate activity and browsing\nimpacts. The present dataset consists of species occurrences per plot; each\nlinked to the coordinates of the plot centre. In 2013, 2015 and 2018, it includes\nthe number of individuals of each species. For all four years, each species\nfound in the Browse Tier of a plot is associated with a Browse Index. Species not\nassigned a Browse Index were recorded in the Ground Tier (0–30 cm above the\nground in 2013, 2015, and 2018, and 0–15 cm above the ground in 2023).
These monitoring data are essential for understanding ungulate–plant interactions and\nsupport NCC in assessing the effectiveness of ungulate control strategies and\nguiding management decisions. Beyond its operational use, we seek to make this\ndataset available to a wider audience to support further research, ecological\nstudies, and conservation initiatives.
","acknowledgements":"This work was commissioned by Nelson City Council. Their continued\nfunding and collaboration have been essential to the effective management and\nmonitoring of indigenous forest ecosystems in the Maitai and Roding catchments.
","pubDate":"2025-08-28T00:00:00.000+00:00","maintenanceUpdateFrequency":"UNKNOWN","maintenanceDescription":"This dataset will be updated to include the results of any future Browse Monitoring Surveys undertaken in the Waterworks Reserves by Kaitiaki o te Ngahere.","license":"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode","dwca":{"coreType":"http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Occurrence","extensions":["http://rs.iobis.org/obis/terms/ExtendedMeasurementOrFact"],"modified":"2026-07-14T06:46:13.583+00:00"},"approximateCounts":{"occurrenceCount":11136}}