Maungatua
Template:Short description Template:Use New Zealand English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox mountain
Maungatua, known also as Mauka Atua is a prominent ridge in the Taieri Plains in Otago, New Zealand.[1]
It rises Template:Convert above the floodplain of the Taieri River, directly to the west of Dunedin's airport at Momona. It can be clearly seen from much of Dunedin's urban area, Template:Convert, and from as far south as the outskirts of Balclutha, Template:Convert to the southwest. Lake Mahinerangi is located on the western side of Maungatua.[2]
The name Maungatua in Māori literally means "Hill of the Spirits",[3] and is spelt Mauka Atua by Ngāi Tahu local to the Otago Region. The name is a reference to an ancestral chief who arrived on the Āraiteuru migratory waka.[4]
Ecology of Maungatua
Maungatua features a diverse range of plant species. The summit features tussock grassland and cushion bogs, whilst the sub-alpine zone includes shrubland and tussock grasslands.[2] Carnivorous insect eating plants called sundews are found within swamps at the summit.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Silver beech dominates the montane slopes, particularly on the southern face.[2][5] This transitions to lowland podocarp forest which extends into the Waipori Gorge.[5] This includes a mixture of broadleaf and kānuka forest.[6] In addition, the only naturally-occurring kāmahi in the Dunedin area are found in the southern Maungatua in Mill Creek.[2] Glowworms may also be found living in mānuka trees at the base of Maungatua.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".