Kererū II

This task is about using what we know about kererū's adaptations to help us decide on actions to help the species survive.
puriri berries Kereru eating Tairare berries
The gape of a bird is how wide it can open its beak.
Native trees such as karaka, tawa and taraire produce large fruit. 
Kererū are now the only native birds whose gape is wide enough to swallow whole the fruits of karaka, tawa and taraire.
They are therefore very important for spreading the seeds of these trees so new trees grow.

Question

Knowing about adaptations can be useful for people. For example, kererū were an important food source for Māori. They used their observations about how they behaved to develop ways to catch them.
 
Here is a drawing of a waka kererū, which was used to trap kererū. The trap was filled with water and placed near trees when they had berries on them.
waka kereru
A list of observations Māori may have made about kererū is shown below.
a)  Which observation was used when they designed the waka kererū?

    • Kererū have colourful feathers.

    • Kererū are big birds.

    • When there is less food around kererū are more energetic.

    • Kererū get thirsty when they are full of berries.

    • Kererū's wings make a whooshing noise when they are flying.

Question 1Change answer

Knowing about adaptations can help us understand how different parts of an ecosystem work together. 
Since the arrival of European settlers, the numbers of kererū have dropped.
b)  i)  If there were no longer any kererū, how might the New Zealand bush be affected?
ii) Use what you know about the kererū's adaptations to explain why you think this.

Question 1Change answer

c)  i)  What is one action that New Zealanders could take to work towards making sure we will have kererū in New Zealand in the future?
ii) Use evidence to justify your idea.