Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan Indigenous vegetation loss has been largely on lowland, maritime peninsulas, west-facing slopes and gentle topography, especially alluvium. Upland vegetation is largely intact. Original non-forest vegetation is confined to exposed or heavily mineralised ultramafic areas, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, dunes, spits and barrier beaches, coastal bluffs, exposed islands and stacks. 2. Communities and Habitats Coastal, lowland and upland ultramafic vegetation is extensive, very distinctive, an important habitat and vulnerable to disturbance and loss. Very low productivity; low species diversity but highly distinct; some communities, especially tussocklands, rocklands, shrublands and stunted forest, endemic to the mineral belt due to the tolerance by their species to high levels of trace elements, especially nickel, are nationally important. Coastal ultramafic communities are unique. Dune, spit, beach, lagoon, freshwater wetland, estuarine and alluvial communities are very distinctive and rare in the Sounds – they are important habitats which add considerably to the biodiversity, biotic patterns, and productivity of the ecosystem. Island communities are nationally important - distinct and rare biotic assemblages, highly productive. Some are predator-free, others free of major predators (eg; no possums on D’Urville) allowing for survival of species, communities and processes now under threat on the mainland. Forest communities, especially with kohekohe, titoki or southern rata, are nationally important due to lack of possums. One of the more extensive tracts of lowland forest remaining in Marlborough is found here. Coastal shrublands are distinctive - endemic to Cook Strait. Upland biotic patterns are still largely intact. Lowland and coastal patterns are often fragmented. Still very good connections remain between some communities, allowing for movement of biota and buffering from threats. The area has very high native fisheries values, with diverse assemblages of native fish species. Absence of introduced freshwater fish. Good access for threatened fish species due to coastal proximity. Eel fishery in coastal lagoons. Overall, natural biodiversity of communities and species is exceptional. 3. Plants Hebe rigidula var. ‘D’Urville’ (d); Euphorbia glauca (r); Cooks scurvy grass (r); Poranth e ra mirophyllar (r); Craspe dia ‘ultramafic’ (r); Chionochloa defracta ; c bamboo tussock (r); R ytidosperma petrosum (r); Spinifex sericeus (r); Hebe urvill eanaTu ; peia antarctica (r); Knightia excelsa ; Gahnia lacera (r); Lep idosperma late rale (r); Atrip lex cinerea (r); tanekaha; Chionochloa beddei (r); hutu; sand coprosma; whau (r); Hebe elliptica (r); Melicytus obovatus ; App Two - 18