Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan 3. Water Reasonable water quality in most catchments. Summer low flows. Some streams ephemeral in dry spells. B. The Biological Environment [Part of Sounds Ecological District] Total land area of Arapawa ecosystem is 12,962 ha of which; 15% is in native forest, 29% is in shrubland (both native and exotic), 34% is in plantation forestry and 22% is in pasture and non-woody indigenous cover. (Note: Percentages based on interpretation of 1990 satellite images.) 1. Predominant Indigenous Vegetation Detailed in Table 6 Originally, predominantly forested, except for rock and beach shoreline fringes, bluffs, and estuarine embayment heads. Now, mostly cleared of indigenous forest and that which remains is in small scattered pockets, generally at higher elevations and steeper slopes, or on islands. Fan and alluvial forest almost entirely gone. Other than on the smaller islands, coastal forest is almost entirely gone. Freshwater wetlands naturally rare in this ecosystem. A few still remain - swamp forest gone. Regenerating shrublands now a significant component of the landscape. 2. Communities and Habitats Dry beech forest and mixed broadleaf forests of this ecosystem are distinctive and regionally important. Possum not present on any islands; deer absent from Arapawa Island. Island communities with absence of major introduced mammals regionally and nationally important; some of these such as Kohekohe forest, are now becoming threatened on the mainland. Freshwater wetlands, especially in Port Underwood, a rare and distinctive part of the ecosystem. Generally, low to moderate productivity due to environmental constraints, especially dry conditions. Moderate biodiversity due to range of island, coastal, lowland, sheltered/exposed communities. Limited range of landforms, altitude and geology. Biotic patterns very fragmented and difficult to interpret, with little connection and intact gradation amongst various communities. Dynamics and process functioning is incapacitated or severely compromised in many natural areas. App Two - 34