Please record even common species like bracken
Pat has nearly completed the draft for the eFloraNZ chapter of the Dennstaedtiaceae ferns (native genera are Histiopteris, Hypolepis, Leptolepia, Paesia, and Pteridium). It will shortly join the Aspleniaceae chapter in peer review. All going well, both should be published by the end of 2017.
From the Dennstaedtiaceae chapter, here is a draft map for bracken, Pteridium esculentum subsp. esculentum:
Map CC BY Landcare Research.
Each blue dot is a specimen at Te Papa, Auckland Museum, or Landcare Research. Though these are New Zealand's three major herbaria, I reckon these collections are under-representing the abundance of bracken. For instance, I suspect inland areas of the South Island and the east coast of the North Island are not genuine areas of sparseness for bracken.
The same is true for NatureWatchNZ: see the map for bracken https://inaturalist.nz/observations?place_id=6803&taxon_id=194768
Which makes this a plea to record observations of even common species like bracken!
Using tools like NatureWatchNZ, everyone can help New Zealand accurately document its biodiversity.
Bring on the bracken observations...
Comments
Hi Leon
I would suggest you review the numerous lists kept on NZPCN especially the likes of Tony Druce. His records may not be photographic or entail a herbarium specimen but bracken and allied species are distinctive enough and the records may put a few more dots on your map. Some of the PNA surveys contain species lists that may be a bit generic but locate the records to a species ecological area and would be reliable in the main. If you wanted a more area specific record there is often a draft report that DoC may hold that contains site specific records.
e.g. There is a Druce list for the mountains of mainly central Otago that has a good number of bracken records (I did not look at the other species but they will proabably be there)
Kia ora,
Sadly I was not in the country when you wrote this else there would have been alot of bracken obs from up these ways :)
You have also raised a very vailid point about areas being unrepresented as I checked the Te Aupouri penninsula on the NW map and apart from the cluster were I live there are only another 3 obs of which 2 are mine (and both of those are from real off the beaten track places) and I know that it is far more common than that up here. I admit that I walk past that (and alot of the other "common" plants here) because it is common, but you have now highlighted for me that if I don't record it, in years to come people may think it was not really up here, along with a whole lot of other plants that are common here now.
While places here like the North Cape Scientific Reserve have lots of plant lists the majority of the penninsula is not covered, so from now on I will keep my eyes peeled for the aruhe and all of the other common plants I see and actually stop and photograph them :)
Oh and if it is not close to publication or the map is not finalised, let me know and I will do a bracken road trip :)
I will also get photos of Histiopteris incisa which only has 4 records for the penninsula - one yours and the rest mine and that is another thing I know grows all over up here!
Thanks @tangatawhenua - that's much appreciated.
No worries - I take it that the map isn't finalised? If you confirm that for me, I can do a trip within the next few days, else I will just take the photos when I am out. Doing a special trip is no worries - as I have done those in the past for specific species at certain locations :)
The map is pretty much finalised. But in time, the map will be re-done. So it is certainly worth making more observations, and even collecting specimens when you have permission of the land manager. (The maps for the eFloraNZ are based only on specimens, but I do check them against the NatureWatch maps.) ... but no rush.
Appreciate the info and the collect specimans bit which I will do for these 2 species over the next few months. Do you need bits for DNA testing?
Been wondering what to collect now that my plant press has been set back to zero :)
Thanks. We don't need subsamples for DNA testing.
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