Ecosystem Types

Lake/aquatic habitat Horseshoe Lake is the second largest lake (3ha) within Hamilton’s city limits. The lake is situated in the middle of the park and is a crescent shape water body. The lake is supertrophic from fertilisers use and intense dairy farming in the catchment. This has given the lake poor water quality.

Lake margin/ swamp The area surrounding Horseshoe Lake is subject to flooding and water pooling in winter. Pre-restoration vegetation on the lake margin was dominated by pasture grasses, grey willow, raupo and ferns. Two vegetation types are being reconstructed on the lake margin; they are swamp shrubland and giant wire rush dominant bog.

Semi-swamp Covering the low lying flat peatlands of Waiwhakareke, this area is poorly drained with peat as the dominant soil type. Water pooling occurs in this area during winter. In 2003 the only vegetation on this landform was exotic pastures and wasteland weeds. The vegetation type to be reconstructed on this area is a semi-swamp forest with kahikatea and pukatea dominant.

Hillslope The low rolling hills on the southern and western margins of the park are typical for the Hamilton Basin. The hills are well drained with gentle slopes. Pre-restoration the vegetation on the hills was solely exotic pastures. Tawa-rimu podocarp-broadleaved forests are commonly found on hillslopes around the Waikato region.

Ridge crest The ridge crests are found on the western boundary of the park. Pre-restoration the vegetation on the ridge crests was the same as the hillslopes. The driest landform present in the park makes it ideal for a conifer-broadleaved forest dominated by kauri and tanekaha.