A Revised Classification of the North Island Indigenous Forests
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A REVISED CLASSIFICATION OF THE NORTH ISLAND INDIGENOUS FORESTS Abstract A provisional classification of the indigenous forests of the North Island, published in this journal in 1957, has been re- vised. The main change is the addition of many types uecog- nised during later forest survey of lzitherto poorly known YE- mote forests; the total number of mappable types has been rather more than trebled. The grouping of types into broad classes has been slightly rearranged. A type is now determined purely by the specific association of trees 30 cm or more dbh in hzgh forest (15 m or more canopy height), and 10 to 30 cm dbh in low forest. THE NEED FOR REVISION The provisional classification of North Island indigenous forests by McKelvey and Nicholls (1957) was mainly a correla- tioill of the manifold forest type schemes of the North Island district units of the National Forest Survey of 1946-1955. though data obtained in the North Auckland forests in the first year of the 1956-1969 Ecological Survey were also used (Masters et al., 1957; New Zealand Forest Service, 1957; Mc- Kelvey and Nicholls, 1959). In that classification the volumetric criteria of the National Forest Survey were dis- regarded and forest types were recognised by the presence and relative abundance of physiognomically prominent trees regarded as determining the productive and protective quali- ties of the forest. At that time, the compo~sitionof about one- third of the forests was reasonably well known, but knowledge of the remainder, mainly in the more remote hill country and above the lower slopes of the main ranges, was still very sketchy. As the Ecological Survey proceeded, the montane forests were found to be far more complex than had been anticipated. The provisional classification was put to a practical test during the compilation of 1:63 360 forest-type maps (New Zealand Forest Service Mapping Series 5), covering the Roto- *Scientist, Forest Research Institute, Rotorua. 106 N.Z. JOURNAL OF FORESTRY rua, Urewera, Hauhungaroa, and Tararua forest tracts. New types were discovered as the unmerchantable areas were more thoroughly explored and sampled, and departures from the published type-schedule had to be made from time to time as some associations were found to have been too broadly or too narrowly defined. Moreover, mapping each tract in turn resulted in an insidiously increasing inconsistency. A forest-type symbol was becoming liable to stand for one thing in one region and something rather too different in another. When this mapping programme was dropped pending the completion of 1:250 000 forest-class maps (New Zealand Forest Service Mapping Series 6), the opportunity was taken to revise the North Island classification. THE NEW CLASSIFICATION The broad design of the scheme has not been greatly changed. The forest classes (or "groups" as they were originally called), incorporating types with one or more dis- tinctjve features in common, are essentially the same, though some re-definition of their scope was necessary and this re- quired the transfer of a few types from one class to another. Two new classes have been introduced, distinguishing taraire- tawa and harwood-beech associations from other types of log- ged forest. On the other hand, the former "coastal forest" and "scrub" classes have been dropped; distinctive coastal stands are far too rare to warrant a separate class, and an adequate classification of "scrub" would require a special sur- vey. Until revised editions of the published forest-type maps are compiled, and while people must still refer to reports using the old classification or various provisional amendments adopted over nearly 20 years, some confusion cannot be avoid- ed. The biggest difficulty will arise through changes in the numbering of the forest types within each class. Most of the "unchanged types" now have a different code number, and some "new typ~es" have numbers originally given to "dis- carded types". But the new order of listing is considereld essen- tial because the old order was generally haphazard. The order of types listed within classles in this revised classification de- pends mainly upon a set order of naming species; it is hoped this will make the differences between the types more readily apparent. The listing order of the forest classes has also been changed to concur with the basic order of kauri, softwoods, hardwoods, beeches, but the origindl alphabetical symbols for the classes stand. In the revised classification, a forest type is regarded simply as an area, or the sum of several areas, of forest containing NORTFI ISLAND 1NI)IGENOUS FORESTS 107 one tree species or a unique consistent mixture of species. No attempt has been madc to judge thc rclative significance of ihe species in any multi-specific type, from any point of view. In high fo'rest, all tree species over 30 cm dbh recardead on 0.4 ha sample plolts were taken into account in stratifying the forests. In lotw forest, where trees of that size are few, the stems of all species 10 lo 30 cm dbh rccor'dled on 0.04 ha plots were also considered. Closely comparable samples were grouped as representing a forest type, and the areas of each lype were determined by ground reconnaissance and by inter- pretation of aerial photographs. Only those types expected to be shown on the futurc map scale 1:50 000 have been listed in the following classification. Many types have been found1 that are not known to occur over more than 20 ha in any one place. These may be of great ccological importance, but lack of space prohibits thelir inclu- sion here. It will be seen that the I'ollowing scheldule is hardly mom than a bare catalogue of folrest types, 2nd many of them apparently dilTer only in the presence or absence of one or two tree species. Often there arc appreciable concomitant differ- ences in the composition of the undcrstoreys, in the incidence of regenleration, and so on, but again lack of space prevents any reference to this. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS "Low forest" is 6 to 15 m tall. "High forcst" is more than 15 m tall. "Softwood" covers all conifers except kauri. "Hardwolod" covers all other species except beeches. Kauri is a "softwu~od"and beeches are "l~ardwo~ods",but the uscful tradition of always naming them separately is fol- lowed. "General hardwolod" covers all hardwoods except taraire and tawa. "Poles" have stems 10 to 30 cm dbh. "Small trees" have stems 30 to 75 cm dbh. "Large trees" have steins over 75 cm dbh. "Shrub hardwoods" are species that may reach the dimensions of pules or small treies, but are invariably of shrub form. "Occasional" means fewer than 15 stems/ha. "Frequent" means 15 to 50 stemslha. "Abundant" means more than 50 stems/ha. Figures for altitude above mean sea-level (a.s.1.) are approxi- mate estimates only. 108 N.Z. JOURNAL OF FORESTRY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The field work which made this classification poissible was usually arduous and sometimes hazardous. A tribute has been paid to field staff of the National Forest Survey in Masters et al. (1957). The service of the young men oE the Ecollogical Survey must now be acknolwledged. Their leaders from time to time were: M. J. Andrews, M. A. A. Banks, E. J. Breach, D. W. J. Cameron, A. V. Fuller, G. R. Hampton, R. B. Steven- son, and D. H. Widdowson. Thanks are also due to' my colleagues of the earlier years of the Ecolo~gical Survey, at first P. J. McKelvey and later D. A. Franklin, with wholm the expansion and revision of the provisional classification was often discussed. REFERENCES McI<elvey, P. J.; Nicholls, J. L., 1957. A provisional classification of North Island forests. N.Z. Jl For., 7: 84-101. --1959. The indigenous forest types of North Auckland. N.Z. Jl For., 8: 29-45. Masters, S. E.; Ho~lloway, J. T.; McKclvcy, P. J., 1957. The National torest Survey of New Zealand 1955. Government Printer, Wellington. 107 pp. New Zealand Forest Service, 1957. Annual Report of the Forest Research Institute for the Year ending 31 March 19.57. p. 24. SCHEDULE OF FOREST CLASSES AND TYPES KAURI (A) This class is composed of the limited areas of fo~restin the north 06 the North Island where kauri are abundant. It includes the few remnants of dense old-growth stands, where a large variety of softwoo~dsand hardwoiods usually forms a sparse unlderstorey. Also included are the mare numerous but co~mmonlysmall areas oif abundant poles and small trees (ricker kauri). Again, softwoods and hardwoods are often present but well out- grown by kauri. A1 Abundant large-to-very-large kauri; understorey of rimu, miro, Hall's totara, tanekaha, rata, taraire, tawa, hinau, rewarewa, kohekohe, tolwai, tawari. Occurs up to 450 m a.s.1. in Northland; main areas in Wai- poua State Forest. NORTH ISLAND IhlDICENOUS FORESTS 109 A2 Abuiidant mainly large kauri; understorey of rimu, miro, Hall's totara, hinau, towai, tawari. Occurs above 450 m a.s.1. in Northland; main areas in Warawara State Forest. A3 Abundant small kauri trees or poles; main associated species are rimu, Hall's totara, tanekaha, rewarewa, towai, kanuka. Occurs up to 450 mad. in Northland and 300 m a.s.1. on Great Barrier Island; main areas to the south of the Bay of Islands and on the west side of Great Barrier Island. A4 Abundant small kauri trees or poles; main associated species are rimu, tanekaha, rewarewa, towai, tawari, kanuka. Occurs up to 300 m a.s.1. on Coromandel Peninsula. A5 Abundant small kauri lrees or poles; main associated species are rimu, tanekaha, rewarewa, kanuka, mamangi.