New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Plant communities of Westland National Park (New Zealand) and neighbouring lowland and coastal areas

P. Wardle

Botany Division, DSIR, Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract A.    Dense conifer forest on flats and terraces below 400 in.

1.   Forest on recent alluvial soils.

*     (a) Kahikatea forest on silt.

(b) Mixed conifer forest on well drained soils.

2.   Forest on gley podzol and peat.                                                            .

•     (a) Rimu forest.                                                                                           .,,

(b)   Rimu-kahikatea forest on more-fertile sites than (a).

(c)   Rimu-silver pine forest on very wet ground.                                     m '"

B.    Forest with a main canopy of hardwoods and an open overstorey of Conifers.

1.   Open kahikatea forest transitional to swamps.                   ■ "                                 '

2.   Forest on recent soils.

*     (a) Forest of small hardwoods with an overstorey of large kahikatea.

(b) Kamahi forest with first generation of podocarps (mainly Waiho and Fox valleys).                                                                                             ■

3.   Forest with kamahi dominant on yellow-brown earths below 400 m.

*     (a) Rimu and miro overstorey, kamahi main canopy, and Blechnum discolor abun-

dant beneath.

(b)   Variant of (a) with open tree canopy and abundant lianes occurring near the coast.

(c)   [Variant of (a) on more^fertile soil with very large podocarps.]

(d)   Forest similar to (a), but on younger soils in cold valleys with Todea superba important beneath.

(e)   Rimu and miro overstorey, kamahi and quintinia main canopy, with Blechnum discolor and Gleichenia cunninghamii beneath on podzolised yellow-brown earth.

(f)    [Variant of (e) dominated by miro, with Astelia solandri abundant beneath.]

4.   Forest with Libocedrus bidwillii prominent, in frosty localities below 600 m.

(a)  Libocedrus forest on recent terraces.

(b)   [Libocedrus and/or Hall's totara dominant on podzolised yellow-brown earth].

(c)   [Dacrydium bidwillii, Hall's totara, and Libocedrus on gley podzol.]

5.   Upland forest dominated by rata and kamahi with Hall's totara usually important. On yellow-brown earths to 650 m.

Received 17 September 1976
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1977, Vol. 15: 323-98. 323

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