Wilderness Scientific Reserve
| Wilderness Scientific Reserve | |
|---|---|
Wilderness Scientific Reserve, showing Halocarpus bidwillii | |
Interactive map of Wilderness Scientific Reserve | |
| Location | Southland, New Zealand |
| Nearest town | Te Anau, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 45°32′02″S 167°51′11″E / 45.534°S 167.853°E |
| Area | 0.88 km2 (0.34 sq mi) |
| Governing body | Department of Conservation |
The Wilderness Scientific Reserve (officially The Wilderness Area Scientific Reserve),[1] is a protected 88 ha (220 acres) scientific reserve located in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island.[2] It lies to the north of Mararoa River with portions of the reserve on both the north and south sides of State Highway 94. Established in 1964, the reserve was created to preserve a distinctive post‑glacial vegetation community dominated by the hardy native bog pine (Halocarpus bidwillii), which survives in thin, stony soils characteristic of glacial moraines and riverbeds.[3] There is a short wheelchair-accessible path from the State Highway to a viewing platform over the bog pine forest.[4] In addition to the area protected as a scientific reserve, there is an adjoining area of 42 ha (100 acres) to the west of the reserve that is designated as conservation stewardship land.[2]
Landcare Research describes the bog pine heathland in the Wilderness Scientific Reserve as a critically endangered ecosystem.[5]
Flora
The most prominent vegetation in the reserve is the bog pine, Halocarpus bidwillii, a slow-growing evergreen shrub or small tree endemic to New Zealand.[6] Beneath and between clumps of bog pine, the forest floor is characterized by a dense, rich carpet of mosses and lichens.[3] Racomitrium is common here. Flowering plants like Acaena are found in a few areas in the reserve.[3] There are many ferns like the prickly shield fern (Polystichum vestitum) and the bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum). Non-native plants like Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) have been grown near the reserve.[3]
References
- ^ "New Zealand Gazetteer". New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Protected Areas". Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d Close, R.; Giller, M.; Sykes, W. (1998). "Wilderness Scientific Reserve" (PDF). Canterbury Botanical Society Journal. 32: 33–34. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ "Wilderness Lookout Walk". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Susan K. Wiser; Rowan P. Buxton; Beverley Clarkson; et al. (2013). New Zealand's naturally uncommon ecosystems (PDF). Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-478-34737-1. Wikidata Q136270705.
{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help) - ^ "Scientific Wilderness Reserve | Fiordland". Trip Ideas. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
External links
Media related to Wilderness Scientific Reserve at Wikimedia Commons
- Wilderness Lookout at SouthlandNZ.com
- Halocarpus bidwillii at New Zealand Plant Conservation Network