Rodent monitoring was completed in the forests of northern and eastern Wairarapa during the summer of 2017 as little is known about the rodent populations in the eastern side of the Wellington region. Chew cards were put out for three nights on transects in two different forest types in the Wairarapa; conifer-broadleaf and manuka-kanuka-beech forest. Significantly more rats were recorded in the conifer-broadleaf than in the manuka-kanuka-beech forests. It was considered that higher rat densities were found in the conifer-broadleaf forest because of greater food availability. It was also found that old growth forests in the Wairarapa had rat densities that were comparable to those recorded in old growth forests in the west of the Wellington region. This study provides data that will be useful for future conservation planning.
Keywords: Rodents, Wairarapa, forests, ecosystems