The Nelson Lakes National Park supports a honeydew ecosystem. Honeydew is a sweet sticky substance that forms a rich source of food for many birds, bats, lizards and insects.
Honeydew is produced by small scale insects that live inside the bark of beech trees; it is a sugar-rich sticky substance formed in droplets that protrudes from each tree trunk.
The Nelson Lakes National Park is centred around two large lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa; these lakes are the largest in this area. Both the lakes are surrounded by steep mountains and the shores of the lakes are lined by native honeydew beech forest, which feed a variety of tuneful nectar-eating native birds.
Apart from the red and silver beech trees, the forests around the lakes are abundant with a range of shrubs. These shrubs have an unusual wiry form. This feature is thought to have evolved as a defence against browsing by moa, a flightless bird now extinct.
Picture Credit : Google