Te Waahipounamu: South‐west New Zealand World Heritage Area. Ecological research and conservation history^†

A somewhat longer, more personalised version of this paper, dedicated to Dr Peter Wardle, was presented at his retirement symposium in Sept 1995 and published as part of its proceedings in 1998, in Ecosystems, Entomology and Plants (Royal Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series 48 Pp 39–68)

This paper reviews the research which documented the nature conservation and ecological features and values that justified the initial promotion (by Forest and Bird Protection Society in 1987), the subsequent nomination (by the Government in 1989), and the eventual acceptance (by the World Conservation Union in 1991), of the 2 6 million ha South‐west New Zealand World Heritage Area The incorporation of four established national parks (Westland, Mount Cook, Mount Aspiring and Fiordland) with the intervening Crown owned land embracing rainforest, wetlands and tussock grasslands, into the world heritage area, is also explained

Subsequent development of a range of recreational and visitor facilities along the highway traversing the 311 000 ha of previous State forest land in South Westland is also described, together with the visitor statistics which indicate the initial positive response to the elevated conservation status of the region

Keywords:

• World heritage
• ecological research
• nature conservation values land use evaluation ecotourism
• visitor facilities
• Westland National Park Mount Cook National Park
• Mount Aspiring National Park
• Fiordland National Park

Notes

A somewhat longer, more personalised version of this paper, dedicated to Dr Peter Wardle, was presented at his retirement symposium in Sept 1995 and published as part of its proceedings in 1998, in Ecosystems, Entomology and Plants (Royal Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series 48 Pp 39–68)

Botany Department, University of Otago, P O Box 56, Dunedin