Useful information about dunes and their flora and fauna from the Takutai Kāpiti 29 May 2023 newsletter — Takutai Kāpiti May 2023:
Indigenous plants like pingao, wiwi, and spinifex with its hanging tendrils, are best for helping repair the dynamic ever-changing foredunes. These plants are designed to trap sand; they work with driftwood to help build back the foredunes after big tides or storms. Pingao is an essential plant in any dune planting but can be difficult to establish as the rabbits love it.
Introduced species like marram grass have been widely planted in our dunes in the past but are not a good choice because they produce large steep-faced dunes that are more prone to erosion, leading to coastal recession. Areas of marram grass on our dunes result in a loss of habitat for our native shorebirds and lizards, which need native dune vegetation for food, shelter, and nesting sites. Marram grass forms dense thickets which crowd out native plants.
Other problematic introduced species which are common on the Kāpiti Coast are:
- South African ice plant – creates dense mats and outcompete the native plants
- pampas grass, which can be mistaken for native toetoe, is a habitat for rats and possums
- lupin – shades native species which are better for our dunes, while the increased cover prevents some birds like dotterels nesting and increases the predation of birds that do nest there by cats and stoats or weasels.
The Takutai Kāpiti Project:
is a collaborative process working in partnership with local iwi and supported by Kāpiti Coast District Council.
The project aims to encourage the Kāpiti Community to become more aware of the impacts of coastal hazard risks resulting from sea-level rise and climate change, and empower them to take part in developing solutions and pathways for adapting to coming change.
