The Torlesse Range — A Natural Museum

Forest and Bird, Volume 21, Issue 4, 1 November 1990, Page 20

The Torlesse Range — A Natural Museum

rs : _.« OREST AND BIRD has _. the Torlesse Range as a Conservation Park. Close to the hearts of many Cantabrians, it has significance beyond Canterbury for its place in the botanical exploration of the country and its importance for mountainland research. Well known Canterbury conservationist and regional councillor Di Lucas sums up local feeling about the Torlesse Range. "It is a very significant Canterbury landmark,:a gateway to the high country, and a recognisable part of the Canterbury landscape. Its protection as a conservation park is important for landscape conservation and important for Canterbury." The work of DSIR botanist Dr Brian Molloy in the early 1960s into subalpine and alpine plant ecology and soils at Porter's Pass illustrated the history of fire in the area and helped show that land instability has been a feature of the mountains for thousands of years. "This is a very special place," says Dr Molloy, "a natural museum housing much of our soil and vegetation history over the last 15,000 years. It is an extremely important area for biological conservation and, as a Conservation Park, would be a welcome addition to our protected areas." The range was important in early botanical exploration. Well known alpine plants such as the slim snow tussock (Chionochloa macra) and the South Island edelweiss have their type

localities here. Local recreationists are enthusiastic about the possibility of a conservation park. "The Torlesse Range has been a popular area for mountain recreation for nearly a century. We welcome moves to give it greater protection and coherent management," says Federated Mountain Clubs vice-president David Henson. Adjoining runholder Richard Johnson of Torlesse Station says, "I believe strongly that the area should be managed for a wider community use than the traditional hunting." One of the most extensive studies on the range combined the efforts of several scientists to research the processes occurring in one small but significant tributary of the Kowai River. Dr John Hayward, now director of the Centre for Resource Management in Christchurch, researched erosion and stream flow in the Torlesse Stream. "These were the pioneering studies,

aided by the accessibility of the site and the resources available for extensive field work," says Dr Hayward. They complemented studies of erosion and land stability occurring in other parts of the country and were instrumental in changing perceptions of high country erosion. The Torlesse Range remains a valuable research site and deserves formal recognition," he says.