False Islet Wetland Management Area

Description: Moist hollow on sandflats behind foredunes. 1

Type/Class: Marsh. 2

Size: 40.0 ha.

Altitude: 0–60 m above sea level.

Approximate location: 7 km South East of Owaka | NZTM (centre point): E1350500 N4848100.

Regional Plan: Water for Otago | Schedule 9 Regionally Significant Wetland, no.41, Map F36.

Territorial Authority: Clutha District Council.

 

Interactive map of False Islet Wetland Management Area

Recorded Values

Value Description
A1 Habitat for nationally or internationally rare or threatened species or communities. Presence of the threatened plant species Mazus arenarius and the insufficiently known species Libertia peregrinans. 1, 2
A5 Scarce in Otago in terms of its ecological or physical character. Less than 15% of marshes remain in Otago. 2
A2 - A4, A7, A8 No relevant information is currently held by the ORC.

 

Other Information

  • Mazus arenarius classed as rare by the New Zealand threatened and local plant list. 20
  • Wet hollows in the False Islet area contain Gnaphalium spp., Mazus sp., Lilaeopsis sp., pānakenake (Pratia arenaria), sand buttercup (Ranunculus acaulis), Lagenifera sp., Nertera sp., Potentilla sp., oioi (Leptocarpus similis) and sand coprosma (Coprosma acerosa) which has a threat status of declining. Sixty-two native moth species have been recorded at the Cannibal Bay – False Islet area, many endemic to the southern coast. 21

  • False Islet Wetland Management Area is adjacent to the coastal marine area, which is covered by the Regional Plan: Coast for Otago.

 

Aerial View of False Islet Wetland Management Area (2006)

 

 

False Islet Wetland Management Area (September 2007) 94

 

References

1 Otago Regional Council (2004) Regional Plan: Water for Otago. Published by the Otago Regional Council, Dunedin.

2 Ausseil, A.G., Newsome, P., Johnson, P. (2008) Wetland Mapping in the Otago Region. Landcare Research Contract Report prepared for the Otago Regional Council.

20 Rogers, G. (1999) Coastal turfs of mainland New Zealand: their composition, environmental character, and conservation needs. Science for Conservation: 107. Published by the Department of Conservation, Wellington.

21 Patrick, B.H., Conservation of southern coastal moths: Part 3. ¬Cannibal Bay – False Islet. Published by the Department of Conservation – Otago Conservancy, Dunedin.

94 Department of Conservation – Photo Archive.