Planning pathways using native tree resources

This interactive groups Hub resources into key science and teaching concepts. It provides a selection of pathways that allow for differing approaches and starting points. The aim is to assist educators with their planning of lessons and units of work by providing options that cover multiple science concepts. Click on the labels for links to supporting articles, media, data and student materials.

To sort and annotate these resources for later reference, log in and use our collections tool.

Download a PDF file of the transcript here.

Transcript

Uniquely New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand is unique in many ways. Geologic isolation has meant that our plants evolved alongside other unique species with no introductions of new species until humans discovered Aotearoa. Humans have only been able to impact/modify our forests for a few centuries. A rough and rugged landscape creating geographic isolation within the country has helped to keep some native ecosystems protected, allowing us a glimpse into our ecological history.

Related media

Image: Tony Foster, Bushmans Friend

Ecosystems and interactions

New Zealand has a wide range of ecosystems, and trees play a major role in many of them. Ecosystems consist of all the living organisms in an area and the interactions between them and the physical environment. Interactions include key concepts such as energy transfer, interacting systems and cycles.

Related media

Honeydew: The Food of the Ngahere – video
Bird pollination in New Zealand – video
Tūī feeding – image
Male bellbird feeding – image
Kererū feeding on kawakawa – image

Related activities

Image: Geoff de Lisle

Classification and identification

All plants have certain characteristics that aid us with their classification and identification. Observing their physical features (leaves, bark, flowers and seeds) is a long-standing and useful method. Increasingly, DNA analysis is providing us with a deeper understanding of the evolution of plant species and the relationships between them.

Related activities

Making a life-size leaf collection
Native plant leaves – DIY classification system
Insect mihi (use the activity outline but substitute insects with tree species)

Image: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Primary industries

Māori have known about the medicinal properties of native trees and plants for centuries. As modern science verifies the values of these properties, products from native trees have become global commodities.

Research is ongoing. Consumers are willing to pay extra for natural products with low environmental impacts. Growing native trees for primary industries appears to be good for local ecosystems and for the economy.

Exotic trees form a major part of our horticulture exports. New Zealand research plays a significant role in the development of new fruit varieties.

Native trees

Exotic trees

Related media

Assessing apple attributes – interactive

Image: cloud9works, 123RF Ltd

Threats and diseases

Aotearoa New Zealand’s native trees face a number of threats. Some threats, like deforestation and dieback due to possums, have been around for decades or more. Other threats are relatively new. New Zealand scientists are working to stop the devastation of diseases like kauri dieback and myrtle rust. Climate change and the disruption of weather patterns introduce the possibility of future threats, including forest fires.

Fighting kauri dieback and Kauri dieback
Myrtle rust
Myrtle Rust Reporter – citizen science project
Deforestation
1080 – an overview
Managing fire risk in the outdoors
Invasive weeds and wildfires
Low-flammability garden saves home

Related media

Kauri Dieback: Death in the Ngahere – video
Detecting myrtle rust in New Zealand – interactive
Rural fires – video
Rural fire risk – interactive

Image: Wildfire and myrtle rust images courtesy of Scion. Deforestation image, public domain.

Citizen science

We are becoming more aware of our native forests and the valuable ecosystem services they provide. As a result, thousands of people regularly volunteer to help with restoration and other citizen science projects.

The following resources explore the science that underpins restoration.

The following resources highlight some of the citizen science projects on the Hub.

Related activities

Environmental thinking and planning with ecosystem-based management (EBM)

Image: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Pedagogy webinars

The following professional development resources provide pedagogical advice and resources when using trees and/or conservation as a topic of learning or inquiry.