In order to plan for the recovery of the takahē population, studies investigating the interactions and interrelationships of takahē populations and the communities they live in are important.
Living parts of an ecosystem are called biotic factors, while the environmental factors that they interact with are called abiotic factors. Because living things both respond to and are influenced by their environment, it is important to study both factors together to get a full picture.
Biological communities are an interacting group of various species in a common location. The composition of a community is often grouped into their feeding or trophic levels – producers or consumers.
Investigating patterns in an ecological community will highlight multiple interrelationships and interactions. Often this is the data that will drive decisions in regard to conservation initiatives. In the case of the takahē, population data about stoats, red deer and snow tussock grass show significant interactions and identify threats.
Related Hub resources:
- Population biology – article
- Takahē – a context for learning – article
- Population genetics – article
- Abiotic and biotic factors for takahē – activity
Related ZEALANDIA resources:
- Compare and contrast Murchison Mountains vs offshore islands visual organiser – template for students to organise ideas related to similarities and differences between Murchison Mountains and offshore islands
- Adaptations visual organiser – template for students to organise ideas related to adaptations of red deer, stoat, snow tussock and takahē
- Interrelationships in the Murchison Mountains visual organiser – template for students to organise ideas related to the interrelationships between the takahē, stoat and red deer
Acknowledgement: Photo of South Island takahē eggs, South Island Takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri, collected 11 December 1949, Takahē Valley, Fiordland, New Zealand. Field Collection 1948 - 1966. Te Papa Tongarewa (OR.000546). CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
