By Julie Deslippe of
Photo: Supplied/DOC
Analysis: The sight of flames tearing across Tongariro National Park last week was heartbreaking for lovers of the landscape. It was also potentially disastrous for a world-renowned alpine ecosystem.
With aerial footage exposing the scale of the wildfire - nearly 3,000 hectares was burned - the impact on spiritually and ecologically important land could well be severe.
The Department of Conservation is now working to assess the damage. Ecologists, iwi and conservationists will be anxious to learn just what has been lost.
The disaster should also raise questions about how we fund, manage and protect these vulnerable habitats in a warming world where change is often outpacing conservation efforts.
What may have been lost
For ecologists who have studied the national park's rare plant communities, the true toll might no
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