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Sykes: the Effect of Goats on Kermadec Islands' Vegetation 13

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Sykes: the Effect of Goats on Kermadec Islands' Vegetation 13 SYKES: THE EFFECT OF GOATS ON KERMADEC ISLANDS' VEGETATION 13 THE EFFECT OF GOATS ON VEGETATION OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS W. R. SYKES Botanr Divisiol!. D.S.l.R" Christchurch Goats were present on RaouL the largest island partly responsible for the deyelopment of lhis of the Kermadecs, in 1836, (Rhodes il! Straubel habit. Browsing had also resulted in the introduced 1954) although Wright and Metson (1959) stated sedge Cyperus brevifolius (Rotlb.) Hassk. forming that they were liberated there in 1842. Rhodes said short dense mats lowards the bottom of lhe shallow lhat they were few in number on Raoul whereas he guIJies; this appearance being quite unlike that stated that in 1836. lhe second largest island in the usually found in this species elsewhere. On Raoul group, Macauley, "abounds with goats". This the two lasl-named plants do not form short turf. implies that lhese animals mllst have already been The overall appearance of the plaleau as early as present for a number of years. On Macauley the 1887 must have resembled that seen in 1966 vegetation was burnt to some degree prior to the because Cheeseman (1888) found" . a beau- arrival of the goats. As a result, it has - grassland tiful sward of natural grass". covering most of its surface whereas Raoul is still forested. The above monocotyledonous herbs provided the main source of food for the large goat population, and. apart from limiled areas, dicotyledonous Jn July and August 1966, an expedition herbs were relatively insignificant there during the organised by lhe NZ. Wildlife Service probably winter of 1966. Thus, it is of interest to compare exterminaled the goals on Macauley (Williams the brief ouIline of the vegetation just giyen with and Rudge 1969). As a result of studying statements made at the time of the discovery of the vegetation at the same time, I am con. Macauley in 1788 by Captain W. Sever and the vinced that severdl of the endemic species were crew of the "Lady Penrhyn". The island had little then no longer growing there. The only areas grass on it then, judging from Arthur Bowes' com~ inaccessible to goats were the steep cliffs ments on lhe event in his unpublished journal. around lhe coast and some of lhe larger gully sides. Furthermore, Caplain Sever noted that the plateau Such habitats were often very unslable because of was covered by '''acoarse kind of grass" and "great the soft tuff deposits of which the island is mainly plenty of lhe wild mangrove" (Oliver 1910). The formed; consequently the vegetal ion was generally "mangrove" must have been the Kermadec ngaio. rather sparse. The most prominent plants were Myoporum obscurum Endl.,* and the "'grass", Cyperus ustulalus A. Rich., Disph:rma australe Cyperus ustulatus. The relationship of goats to the (SoL) J. M. Black, Lobelia anceps L.f., l'olypogoll former is considered below. In addition 10 the fre- monspeliensis Des!., and Scirpus nodosus Rattb. quency. in 1966, of the latter on the tuff faces The few woody plants were almost entirely con- around Macauley as already mentioned, it formed fined to lhe harder volcanic rocks of the cliffs on the dominant vegetation of the cap of the adjacent the western side. The grassy surface of the plateau Haszard Islet where there have apparently never was dominated by rice grass, Microlaena stipoide.\' been any grazing animals. However, there was no R.Br. in 1966 (not l'olypogon monspeliensi,\' as sign of the saw-edge leaves of this sedge on top of stated by Cheeseman (1888) and Oliver (1910) as the plateau in the winler of 1966. a result of their very brief visits) and this often covered considerable areas to the virtual exclusion From early November 1966 to lale January 1967, of any other plant. Where this grass was less dense I made a botanical survey on Raoul and the adja. lhe introduced annual grass Valpia hromoides (L.) cent Herald Islets as a member of the 1966-67 S. F. Gray was usually abundant and, on the crests of lhe shallow ridges running across the plateau. Notodanthonia racemosa (R.Br.) Zotov had '" This is a redeterrr.ination of the Kerm2dcc ngaio and formed flat mats. Repeated grazing must have been the reasons for it are discussed by Sykes (in press). 14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW ZEAl.AND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY, VOL 16, 1969 Ornithological Society of Ne'v Zealand's Expedi- Expedition must stem, at least in part, from the lion to the Kermadecs. It now seems clear that decrease of lhe leaning Cyathea trunks which some of the endemic species are to be found only formed their main habitat. Eyen lhe epiphytes on Raoul itself and at least one of lhem, Hebe themselves were not safe from direct altack breviracemosa Ckne & Allan. seemed 10be already because goats were frequently seen climbing lhe extinct. This was apparently once fairly plentiful leaning lrunks of the Kermadec pohutukawa and but was noted by Oliver (1910) as being rare and mahoe, Melicytu;' ramifiorus J. R. & G. Forst., and very palatable to goats. Seyeral of the olhers are accessible vegetation was browsed to 10 metres or now uncommon. especially Homalanthus polyan- more above the ground. Epiphylic ferns, particu- drus (Muell.-Arg.) Cheesem" Boehmeria dealbata larly Asplenium species. were often eaten. as were Cheesem. and Pseudopanax kermadecense (W. R. the young shoots of the Kermadec pohutukawa and B. Oliver) Philipson, and lhis is certainly because mahoe themselves. of the activity of the goats. Mature trees set quan- tities of fruits and viable seeds but regeneration The narrow coastal strips behind the beacbes are was largely inhibited because the seedlings were a favourite habitat for goals; and Atkinson (1964) eaten before they could grow lall enough 10 be out believed that on Cuyier Island they were attracted of their reach. Boehmeria dealbata and Homalan- to such coastal habitats by the salt on the yegeta- thus polyandrus have been recorded from Mac- tion. Allhough I did not confirm this for the Ker- auley but neither grows there now. madecs, there is little doubt that the accessible coastal areas of Raoul support a sparser or a more The forests of Raoul are mainly dominated by adventive-dominated flora than formerly. An the Kermadec pohutukawa. Metrosideros kerma- indirect effect of browsing by goats is that the fre- decensis W. R. B. Oliver. This species is favoured quent old landslips around the coasts of Raoul and by goats and, in most areas, few or no young plants Macauley have been kept more open and are con- were seen. Since this is the main canopy tree, its sequently more unstable lhan they otherwise would eventual disappearance over large parts of the be. Palatable species such as the karo, Pittosporum island will obviously result in drastic changes to the cra,\'sitolium A. Cunn. and the endemic Kermadec rest of the vegetation as well. That such modifica- taupala, Coprosma petiolata Hook. f.. are now lions are likely is shown by Atkinson's (1960) mainly confined to more or less vertical cliff faces, report on the effect that browsing goats had had and the former is very rare even there. On Mac- upon the yegetation of Cuvier Island near the New auley in 1966 only a single clump of this taupata Zealand coast. The original forest there was dom- was seen near the base of the precipitous western inated by the New Zealand pohutukawa, Metro- cliffs. Even the Kermadec ngaio, which ollen forms sideros excelsa Gaertn. but regeneration of this a characteristic coaslal scrub, has been greatly and other tree species had been completely stopped reduced in many parts of Raoul. On Macauley, and, on the seaward slopes especially, lhere was this once abundant and presumably often dominant little woody vegetation left. The Raoul forests are species was found on only a few nearly vertical noted for their large tree ferns belonging to two cliff faces in 1966. Davison (1938) considered that endemic species of C)'athea. These are becoming it was only a question of time before this ngaio on less common now since regeneration is virtually Raoul would also be confined to cliff faces inacces- absent, apart from a few plants which begin life as sible to goats. The ollen abundant ice plant, Dis- epiphytes. In certain areas there are no living tree phyma australe was also browsed to some extent ferns but old dead trunks are slill very common. on the Raoul coasts. Since spores are normally found in vast quantities it seems that their failure to produce mature plants A habitat of special botanical inlerest on Raoul in such places must be ascribed to goats. In other Island is lhe crater floor which was the site of an areas, such as around the small Tui Lake, which eruption on 21 November 1964. The details of Hes in a rather remote part of the crater, the living recolonisation of the devastated and partly devas- tree ferns are obviously much less common than tated areas would make an important scientific formerly, judging from photographs taken earlier study. Unfortunately, this is also an area of great this century. ThaI neither of the two filmy ferns in activity for goats. Even lhe, as yet, very sparse flora lhe genus Trichomanes collected by Dr W. R. B. of the Green Lake crater bed near the centre of the Oliver in 1908 were seen during the 1966-67 eruption was being strongly browsed by lale 1966. SYKES: THE EFFECT OF GOATS ON KERMADEC ISLANDS' VEGETATION 15 Among lhe plants ealen was the Kermadec tree An indirect effect of browsing has been to cause tutu, Coriaria arhorea var.
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