New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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THE REGENERATION GAP OF NEW ZEALAND GYMNOSPERMS

P. Wardle

Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch

Abstract The majority of stands of Dacrydium cupressimtm. Podocarfms spicatus and Libo-cedrtis bidwillii at six localities in the South Island and Stewart Island show a "regeneration gap", i.e., a paucity of seedlings, saplings, and young trees. This is most evident to the east of the Main Divide, and least evident in Stewart Island. Increment borings indicate that the lowest rate of regeneration occurred between 1600 and 1800 A.D., if it is assumed that the growth rings are annual. It is suggested that during this time, the area supporting regeneration contracted into the coolest, moistest, and least drought-prone parts of the country, and that more recently, it has been expanding again. This is in fair agreement with Holloway's hypothesis concerning the effects of climatic change on South Island forests.

N.Z. J. Bot, 1 : 301-15
(Received for publication, 7 March 1963)

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (613K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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