New Zealand has lost thousands of hectares of wetlands in past decades, study shows

Country has just 10% of its wetlands left, endangering fragile ecosystems home to threatened species

Thousands of hectares of New Zealand's wetlands have been lost in the past twenty years, leaving the country with just 10% of its pre-European wetland areas and posing significant risks for biodiversity, according to new research.

Wetlands are considered high value" ecosystems in New Zealand and are home to a disproportionately large number of threatened birds and animals, including 67% of freshwater and estuarine fish, and 13% of endangered plants. They also play important roles capturing carbon, maintaining water quality, regulating atmospheric gases, and are culturally significant to Mori.