Ecosystems are changing

Changes in our atmosphere and climate are reflected through changes in our ecosystems and taonga species – altering ngā tohu o te taiao (environmental indicators).

Through observing the environment closely over time, Māori developed a deep knowledge of location-specific environmental indicators – tohu – that help to monitor and forecast trends in te taiao. For example, monitoring the behaviour of birds and the blooming of flowers provides insights to weather and climate variability.

The use of tohu reflects connection through whakapapa (genealogy) and the dependencies that exist throughout the atmosphere and wider environment.

The timing of tohu is changing. Warming sea temperatures have changed the times when kina are fat and ready for gathering, and this is no longer in sync with the traditional summer blooming of the pōhutukawa.

The following resources provide information about the impacts climate change is having on biodiversity, taonga species and ngā tohu o te taiao.

Articles

• Climate change and impacts on biodiversity

• Earth systems and climate change

• Māori ways of knowing – weather and climate

• Climate connections – why climate change matters

• Why climate change matters to Māori

Media

• Our climate, our biodiversity – infographic

• Climate change creates additional pressures – infographic

• Aotearoa’s climate connections – infographic

• Why climate change matters to Māori – video

Activities

• Utilising Our climate, our biodiversity, our future

• Melting glacial ice

Diagram: Ministry for the Environment, Stats NZ, and data providers, and licensed by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.