Welcome to the Canterbury Biodiversity website!

As a 'one-stop shop' for information related to biodiversity in Canterbury NZ, we hope this site will –

make it easier for you to find the information you need;
help to raise awareness about our region's biodiversity;
provide avenues for you to become involved in local projects; and
facilitate the sharing of information, knowledge and experiences.

You can play a part in making sure our native plants and animals are around for future generations to enjoy. Whatever activity you get involved in ... native tree plantings, beach clean-ups, stock control and fencing, legal protection of land, project funding ... you will be helping to preserve our natural inheritance.

What is Biodiversity?

'Biodiversity' is short for biological diversity. It describes the variety of all biological life.

Biodiversity encompasses:

all the different species in a particular area (plants, animals, insects, fungi, micro-organisms);
the genes those species contain; and
the different ecosystems those plants and animals collectively form (e.g. forests, wetlands, streams, estuaries, grasslands, shrublands, sand dunes).

Why is Our Biodiversity Important?

New Zealand's biodiversity gives our country a unique character and is internationally important. Many of our native species and the ecosystems in which they live are endemic, meaning they are not found naturally anywhere else in the world. NZ's native (or indigenous) biodiversity makes a significant contribution to overall global biodiversity.

Biodiversity also provides a range of social, cultural and economic benefits including –

recreational and tourism opportunities
research and education
customary and medical uses
provision of "ecosystem services" for our primary industries.

"Ecosystem services" are natural processes such as the growth and production of raw materials, purification of water, recycling of nutrients, pollination and pest control, decomposition of waste, and the creation and maintenance of the soil.