Macroinvertebrate Motels
The Terra Pura team worked alongside staff at Auckland Council and the Waterways Centre (University of Canterbury and Lincoln University) to test the efficacy of these units, while also ensuring the units themselves were easy to make and implement so that anyone could use them in future without the need for advanced tools. The units were tested across a range of sites that spanned native bush, rural and urban streams. The macroinvertebrate density and diversity from this pilot showed that the short-term installation of these units did help to increase macroinvertebrate populations. However, the diversity of species that increase depends on the site characteristics.
Freshwater ecosystems are under increasing pressure from factors such as contamination, climate change and land use intensification. However, work is being done around New Zealand to try and improve multiple aspects of these systems to ensure their quality for future generations. Terra Pura was involved in a pilot study, colloquially called “Macroinvertebrate Motels” whereby the team aimed to test out these units to see if they could assist in helping macroinvertebrate communities re-establish after flood events or historic degradation.
For more information see the project publication titled: “A short-term home with long-term potential: temporary aquatic habitat additions to support macroinvertebrate colonisation”. Read article
