Kopuatai Peat Dome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kopuatai Peat Dome |
|
|---|---|
Kopuatai Peat Dome - the brown footprint-shaped area centre
|
|
| Location | North Island, New Zealand |
| Area | 10,201 hectares (25,210 acres) |
| Designated: | 4 December 1989 |
| Reference #: | 444 |
The Kopuatai Peat Dome is a huge wetland area in the North Island of New Zealand. It's like a giant sponge made of peat, which is partly decayed plant material. This special place has two "raised domes." These domes are higher in the middle, up to three meters taller than their edges.
This amazing wetland covers about 10,201 hectares. It holds New Zealand's biggest untouched raised bog. In 1989, it became a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. This means it's recognized globally for its unique nature.
Most of Kopuatai is "ombrotrophic." This fancy word means it gets all its water and food only from rain. It's completely separate from nearby rivers and canals. Some people mistakenly think water from the Piako River flows into the bog. They also think it helps store floodwater, but that's not true.
Contents
History of Kopuatai Wetland
Kopuatai is a survivor! Many wetlands on the Hauraki Plains were drained long ago. But Kopuatai was saved. It got special protection in 1987. That's when the new Department of Conservation started looking after it.
Unique Plants and Animals
Kopuatai is home to some very rare and special living things. It's one of only three places where you can find the plant Sporadanthus ferrugineus. This plant used to be common but is now quite rare. It helps form the peat in the bog.
Amazing Insects of the Peat Dome
The Sporadanthus ferrugineus plant is super important for a rare moth. This moth is called Houdinia flexilissima. People often call it 'Fred the Thread'. It was only officially named in 2006. Fred is amazing because its caterpillar is the thinnest in the world! Scientists believe there are many other new insect species living in the peat dome that haven't been named yet.
Other Special Plants
Besides Sporadanthus ferrugineus, you can find other interesting plants here. One is Empodisma robustum, which also helps create the peat. Another is the fern Gleichenia dicarpa. These plants all play a part in making Kopuatai unique.
Kopuatai: A Carbon Champion
Kopuatai is really good at soaking up carbon dioxide from the air. It's much better at it than many other bogs around the world. The peat-forming plants take in carbon dioxide. Then, they turn it into peat. This peat can be super thick, up to 12 meters deep in some parts of the bog. This makes Kopuatai a very important place for fighting climate change.
