Opinion by Tony Orman
On April 22, Stuff newspapers ran an opinion column by Andrew Shepherd, a senior lecturer in theology and public issues at the University of Otago.
In the article Andrew Shepherd told of a tramping trip to the Lewis Pass area of the South Island.
The opinion piece headlined “Growing Threat of Ecological Failure” featured the writer’s deep concern that “sizeable deer populations” were having “a negative impact.”
He wrote “the understory of the beech forest was absent, grazed to oblivion by deer.”
Andrew Shepherd lamented the coalition government’s appointment of National MP Todd McClay as Minister of Hunting and Fishing and remarked on “the primary threat to our natural environment is that of introduced species.”
He then rued that a likely alternative future was “in which introduced game species transition from ‘pests’—to recognised ‘herds of special interest’ offering on-going protection.”
Later in the article he expressed concern deer were browsing foliage which is vital for “carbon capture to offset green-house gas emissions.”
Such utterances remind me of a visit by US zoology professor Dr. W Graf who came to New Zealand in the late 1950s to see first-hand the situation with wild deer.
It’s generally accepted that the late 1940s were the peak of red deer populations after their liberation in New Zealand in the late 19th century.
Dr Graf’s visit was funded by the State of Hawaii who were considering introducing deer to the US’s island state.
Dr William Graf was well qualified as an eminent professor of zoology. On the other hand, Andrew Webster is a lecturer in theology, i.,e. religion.
Religious Fervour
How theology (religion) relates to ecology escapes me.
However it has become a religious fervour for a number to be afflicted by an “anti-exotic wild animal phobia” a phrase Dr. Graf observed of NZ government departments and extreme green groups.
Theologian Andrew Shepherd referred to a lack of understory of beech forest, but this is a natural condition where canopy limits light. As zoology professor Dr. William Graf observed, a lack of understory “is a quite natural condition due – to the shade of the forest which precludes the development of any understory.”
Besides beech forest typically lacks understory diversity. Beech is not a highly palatable species for deer.
What Andrew Shepherd doesn’t seem to understand is NZ’s vegetation evolved over millions of years under extensive and intensive browsing by several sub-species of moa and other vegetarian birds and is well adapted to browsing whether by moa or deer.
Ecologists like the world renowned the late Dr Graeme Caughley have likened deer browsing to moa browsing. So did several scientists at the 1986 seminar “Moas, Mammals and Climate Change in the Ecological History of New Zealand.” Dr Caughley estimated the moa population to be several million. Another scientist Les Batchelor estimated possibly 12 million.
Quarter of a Million
Around 2000, Landcare Research estimated the wild deer population at 250,000 – just a quarter of a million.
The evolution of the ecosystem under moa browsing resulted in New Zealand’s vegetation adapting by developing defence mechanisms, such as the unusual juvenile growth of lancewood, divaricating branch structure of muehlenbeckia, thorns of matagouri and even toxins such as in tutu and native oxalis.
Besides moa there were other vegetarian avian browsers. The native pigeon (kereru) is an example of a browser of canopy foliage. Takahe and kōkako are two other examples. Even some insects are herbivores such as alpine grass-hoppers to beech leaf roller caterpillars.
Notwithstanding there may be a need to manage wild animal populations by annual harvesting relative to the habitat’s carrying capacity, but that should not involve hysterical hatred and eradication.
How would those suffering from “anti-exotic wild animal phobia” have seen moas, in all their several sub-species browsing vegetation from lowland forests too scrublands to alpine snow grass tops?
Would moa browsing be seen as inhibiting “carbon capture to offset green-house gas emissions,” as Andrew Shepherd claimed of wild deer.
Besides Andrew Shepherd is of a species homo sapiens, i.e. humans.
Moa Massacre
The first wave of migrants from Polynesia about 1200 AD wiped out the moa and other bird species and with fires, obliterated habitat. . The second wave of Europeans did no better, clearing vast areas for farms and urban areas. Both the Polynesians and Europeans, were ”introduced species” by way of migration, profoundly altering ecosystems and animal and bird species.
So any criticism of a species on the grounds of it being “introduced” is surely hypocrisy in the extreme?
Animals are an easy target. They cannot argue back in defence, but people can.
The reason? Deer and cows do not vote but people do.
Yet ironically it is people that are the cause of the problem – or more particularly numbers of people.
People fart and belch just like cows and deer. Furthermore people drive cars which belch emissions and fly regularly on jet planes that fart “gases and particles — which contribute to climate change.” Wild animals don’t.
Humans demand resources, flush toilets, use chemicals and throw away garbage. Wild animals don’t.
The more people the greater demand for resources, more cars and planes, more sewers, more rubbish and more emissions. But that’s another subject.
Footnote: Tony Orman is a journalist and author and a former town and country planner, with a degree with units in geology, forestry and land use planning.
Red deer hind and young. photo Tony Orman
There is so much selective “judgement” and selectivity by people who think they know better than Nature.
SOOOOO, here we go again!!!!
” DEER ARE RAVAGAING NZ’s PRISTINE NATIVE BUSH,FLORA & FAUNA AGAIN!!!!
STOP & CONSIDER HOW THE NATIVE BUSH & ITS UNDER STORY ADAPTED OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS TO THE BROWSING BY AN ESTIMATED 6 TO 12 MILLION MOA OF VARIOUS SIZES.
THE BUSH WAS BROWSED OUT TO THE POINT WHERE THE LARGEST EAGLE IN THE WORLD ( THE HAAST EAGLE) COULD FLY THROUGH IT WITHOUT HITTING ANY BRANCHES OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO EVEN FLY A MINI DRONE THROUGH OUR BUSH TODAY!!!! THAT IS IF THE READER OR MEMBER OF TWIG & TWEET HAS EVEN BEEN IN OUR BUSH IN THE LAST 60 YEARS???? ARCHAIR TREE HUGGERS DO NOT QUALIFY AS ” AN INFORMED SOURCE” !!!!!
IF YOU WANT TO BE BETTER INFORMED??? READ BILL BENFIELD’S EXCELLENT BOOK ” THE 3RD WAVE” ( if you can find a copy???) BILL’S WRITING WILL GIVE YOU A TRUE PICTURE OF OUR NATIVE FLORA & FAUNA’S HISTORY.
AND: STOP BLAMING THE 250,000 ODD DEER THAT ARE OUT THERE MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. FAR LESS THAN 6 TO 12 MIILION NAUGHTY MOA. ( BY THE WAY WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MOA ???? PERHAPS THE TWIGS & TWEETS & THEIR TREE HUGGING COBBERS COULD FOCUS ON THAT VERY INTERESTING QUESTION & LET US ALL KNOW WHAT THEY FIND OUT???? P.S. I’M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH!!)
Browsing by birds such as the flightless moa had been a strong evolutionary factor in shaping New Zealand’s vegetation – over millions of years. Then before the moa were herbivore dinosaurs. The dozen or so sub-species of moa became extinct about 1400. The sudden termination (of browsing)–led to marked changes in vegetation.
When the early European settlers saw New Zealand’s vegetation about 1840, with no moa browsing for 500 years, vegetation had become far denser than the previous moa-browsed one over millions of years.
Once deer became established, the browsing component was restored to the vegetation, turning it more towards its original state of the moa era. A good number iof scientists have pointed to this.
The people who believe this crap are the same cretins who think we’re responsible for the state of the climate. They now run the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum, all the so-called Universities, and, as a footnote, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.
Typical uniformed rable rousing by an intellectual with scant intellect!
These so-called experts are th0e very ones giving “science” such a bad name! With mentally challenged individuals such as Greta being hailed as “experts” (note she has abandoned climate in favour of Hamas as an expert on that) western society is in a downward spiral lead willingly it seems, by the nose, economic suicide!
Deer will only represent a fraction of the wraths heaped on us by these ill-informed zealots!
A theology professor goes tramping and suddenly becomes an expert in animal browsing and forest ecology. A true holy miracle if ever I saw it!
It’s obvious who the charlatan is here. I don’t see Tony Orman professing expertise on religious matters.
Time for a Great reset with all NZ Wildlife Management, be it introduced or Native ? Deer are a great Tourist Asset, along with our Native Flora & Fauna & BOTH should be managed properly & they are NOT !! Right now , STOATS are doing much “MORE” damage to our Native Bush than Deer , How So ? being as It’s been pointed out in todays News ? that N.Z. more than any other Country , has the MOST wildlife on the Endangered Species List ? > STOATS by wiping out our Native Birds left right & centre “STOP ” a natural process ? >> Our Native Birds BOTH pollinate & spread Native Forest Seed, thus have been establishing Trees for Millions of years , in rough places where us Humans struggle , down steep Gorges Cliffs Etc.
People like Andrew live in a dreamworld. As an indication, eradicating introduced species from New Zealand would be a multi-trillion dollar exercise, with an uncertain outcome.
Our only real option, is that which we are currently, variously pursuing.
That is, a multidisciplinary approach to wild, introduced species population management.
All other considerations aside, it’s the only option New Zealand can afford.
Well I can certainly point out that in my area of New Zealand in the Marlborough sounds, predator free 2050 is nothing but a joke. Everything is increasing in numbers. Rats, deer, possums, goats especially, pigs are coming back, mice, rabbits now as well but the worst is the bloody wild cats invading the sounds.
Worse thing this govt could ever do was pick on gun ownership and hunters and in particular semi auto rifles needed to get more than one animal at a time.
However on top of this invasion my 75 acres is flourishing and extremely hard to contain even with the help of sheep and all other grazers.
All this inept round of politicians and the future ones will do is throw more and more poison on the hills that will sooner or later end up affecting water sources to the detriment of human health