A Further Examination of the Permanent Quadrats on Little Barrier Island
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Tone (1968) lit: 83-92 83 A FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE PERMANENT QUADRATS ON LITTLE BARRIER ISLAND By Barbara S. Parris* and Lynn R. Keen. * INTRODUCTION In 1951*1 in order to study the quantitative changes in the vegetation on a long term basis, two permanent quadrats were established on Little Barrier Island in regenerating Leptospermum which has been undisturbed since the turn of the century. Both quadrats are situated on the ridge running up behind the caretaker's house, and are accessible from the Thumb track. Pipes indicating the location of the quadrats are by the side of the track. Quadrat I is just above the 'Moss Clearing1, at an altitude of approximately 200', as noted from the altitude marker tags attached to the trees at intervals of 100' (vertical) up this track. Quadrat II is at an altitude of approximately 600'. For a full descri• ption of the location of the quadrats see Bellingham & Percy (195*0. Since their establishment the quadrats have been examined twice before, in 1958 and 1963. SAMPLING METHODS English & Brock's (1963) method of sampling, has been used. The vegetation is divided as follows: - 1. Poles : Between k and 12 inches D. B. H. (diameter breast height) 2. Saplings: Between 1 and h inches D. B. H. which are further subdivided into (A) 1 - 2 inches D. B. H. (B) 2-3 inches D. B. H. (C) 3 - k inches D. B. H. ^Department of Botany, University of Auckland. TABLE I. SPECIES FOUND IN QUADRAT I ARRANGED IN ORDER OF DENSITY DENSITY FREQUENCY SAPLINGS STRIPLING 1954 1963 1967 1954 1963 1967 POLES A 3 C a b c 1963 3 41 31 11 Myrsine austral is 1. 23 0. 37 0. 71 100 100 96 - - - 1967 5 19 33 1963 15 1 — 2 3 2 Coprosma aroorea 0. 29 0. 24 0. 23 64 63 60 1967 14 4 4 1 1963 • 11 2 Melicytus rail:; crjs 0. 13 0. 13 0. 13 32 40 36 1967 - - - a 5 - 1963 12 Leptospermum ericoides 0. 15 0. 12 0. 12 48 44 44 1967 12 _ _ _ _ _ 1963 • 3 2 3 5 3 Pittosporj-3 unoeila^un 0. 17 0. 16 0. 11 40 36 28 1967 2 1 m 1 m. 2 1963 1 — 11 i • Coprosma rhamnoides 0. 30 0. 20 0. 10 56 40 28 1967 - - 9 I 1963 Pittosporum tenuifolium 0. 04 X* 0. 02 12 X 8 1967 - 1 - - - i - 1963 • 1 Gymnelaea lanceolata O. Oi 0. 01 0. 01 4 4 4 1967 - - 1 - 1963 — : : Pseudopanax crassifolium 0. 01 0. 01 0. 01 4 4 4 - - 1967 - - i - 1963 1 Dy5oxylj-i spectacle 0. 01 0. 01 0. 01 4 4 4 1967 - - - 1 - - 1963 :* Coprosma spatnulata X 0. 07 0. 01 X 24 4 1967 1 - - 1963 : : 3 Olearia furfuracea 0. 04 0. 03 X 12 12 X 1967 — _ 1963 ~ ~ : :• Cyatnea Dealbata 0. 01 0. 01 X 4 4 X • 1967 - 1963 6. 9 12. 4 1. 6 0. 0 45. 7 24. 3 9. 0 Numbers in each class as a percentage of the total number 1967 3. 22 15. 07 0. 68 0. 0 30. 14 37. 67 3. 22 • X = "not recorded" 85 3. Striplings: Less than 1 inch D. B. H. and higher than 12 inches. These are further subdivided into height classes (a) 1 - 5 feet (b) 5-10 feet (c) 10 - 15 feet (d) 15 - 20 feet 1+. Ground cover: Phanerogams and cryptogams less than 12 inches in height. Frequen• cy and density of plants in this category are not recorded because of their erratic occurrence. Each quadrat is divided into 6 foot square plots which are sampled separately as above. Divisions were made with strings and difficulty in keeping these taut may have led to the differences in fre• quency for some species compared to previous work where the numbers of plants have remained the same (see Tables). The results are expressed as frequency and den• sity as in 195*+, and 1963, with the various height and D. B. H. classes also recorded, as in 1963. Frequency and density were calculated as follows: P _ Quadrats in which species occurs ^ Total no. of quadrats _ Total no. of individuals of a given species Total area of the plot (in square yards). Heights were measured with an Abney level. Lycopods, Ferns, Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons are as in 'Flora of New Zealand', by H. H. Allan (1961) and Monocotyledons are as in 'New Zealand Flora', by T. F. Cheeseman (1925). QUADRAT I. Canopy heights determined: 195*+ 27 - 33 feet 1958 30 - 35 feet 1963 1+0 - 1+5 feet 1967 32 - 36 feet TABLE II. SPECI E S D IN QUADRA T I I A R R D IN 0 R D E N S I DENSITY FREQUENCY SAPLINGS STRIPLINGS 1954 1963 1967 1954 1963 1967 POLES A B C a b c 1963 3 62 7 2 Neopanax arboreum 0. 30 0. 36 0. 44 43 46 42 1967 - 3 - - 74 3 2 1963 Coprosma spathulata 0. 16 X» 0. 40 38 X 66 1967 - - - 70 9 1963 2 1 : 13 : Pittosporum tenuifolium 0. 06 0. 055 0. 19 22 24 33 • 1967 2 i 34 - - 1963 15 3 3 ~ 2 Leptospermum ericoides 0. 25 0. 18 0. 18 64 56 52 1967 17 i 10 6 2 1963 26 1 Myrsine australis 0. 09 0. 145 0. 165 23 38 34 _ 1967 - - 31 1 - 1963 20 3 Olearia furfuracea 0. 15 0. 11 0. 16 30 24 26 1967 - - - - 26 4 i 1963 35 3 Alseuosmia macrophylla 0. 03 0. 19 0. 155 26 40 34 1967 - - - - 27 4 - 1963 30 1 i Coprosma rhamnoides 0. 10 0. 155 0. 15 24 36 36 1967 - - - - 29 1 1963 2 2 1 i Olearia rani 0. 15 0. 15 0. 14 43 44 34 1967 - 2 - 16 9 i 1963 7 4 1 57 11 Coprosma arborea 0. 15 0. 40 0. 12 44 70 40 1967 - 7 4 1 7 5 - 1963 1 1 2 6 5 i Pittosoorurc umbellatum 0. 13 0. 03 0. 10 36 20 23 1967 - 3 2 9 4 2 1963 Cyathea dealbata 0. 23 X 0. 09 53 X 22 1967 - - - - 16 1 - 1963 2 3 1 1 17 1 Agathis australis 0. 08 0. 12 0. 08 30 30 22 1967 2 1 1 2 9 1 - 1963 — 1 11 Cyathodes fasciculatus 0. 08 0. 07 0. 06 23 26 20 • • 1967 — 10 2 • X = "not recorded* continued TABLE II. Continued DENSITY FREQUENCY SAPLINGS STRIPLINGS 1954 1963 1967 1954 1963 1967 POLES A B C a b c 1963 5 6 Senecio kirkii 0. 06 0. 055 0. 055 16 16 16 1967 - - - - 6 4 1 1963 — 4 Geniostoma liqustrifolium 0. 05 0. 02 0. 045 16 8 13 _ 1967 - 8 1 - 1963 1 2 1 Gymnelaea lanceolata 0. 01 0. 023 0. 035 2 10 14 1967 1 3 2 1 - - - 1963 1 2 1 Knightia excelsa 0. 06 0. 03 0. 03 X» 10 8 • i 1967 1 2 - 1 2 - 1963 — — 2 1 — Nothofagus truncata 0. 02 0. 015 0. 015 6 6 8 1967 3 1 1963 — : 2 Beilschmiedia tawa 0. 01 0. 015 0. 015 2 4 4 — 1 1967 - - 2 1 - 1963 — 2 1 Pseudopanax discolor 0. 005 0. 015 0. 015 2 6 4 1967 - - - 2 1 - 1963 2 2 1 Gymnelaea cunninghamii 0. 005 0. 036 0. 015 2 12 6 1 1967 1 2 1963 m :i Coprosma lucida 0. 01 0. 005 0. 005 2 2 2 1967 - 1 - 1963 — i Corokia buddleoides 0. 005 0. 005 0. 005 2 2 2 1967 i - - 1963 :— : 1 Pseudopanax crassifolium 0. 02 0. 005 X 4 2 X - - 1967 : : - Cyathea medullaris 0. 03 X X 10 X X 1963 - - - - - - - the number 4. 5 6. 5 5. 0 3. 0 55. -5 11. 1 r. 6 Numbers In each class as a percentage of total 4 1967 3. 96 . 72 4. 34 2. 08 71. 83 11. 70 1. 32 * X » "not recorded" 88 In view of the age of the canopy, which is all Leptospermum about TO years old, and its obvious mat• urity, it seems more reasonable to accept a height increase of 1 - 2 feet in nine years than the 10 feet increase in five years put forward by English and Brock and necessitating a spurt of growth out of character with the previous recorded height increases. Notable is the lk% increase in class b striplings and similar decrease in class a striplings over the k year period. This change in importance was not noted in quadrat 2. Myrsine australis is still the most abundant species in the quadrat. Seedlings are sparse in the ground cover. Those of the following species were found: Neopanax arboreum, Melicytus ramiflorus, Myrsine australis, Dysoxylum spectabile, Pittosporum tenuifolium, P. umbellatum, Coprosma spp., Olearia furfuracea and Cyathea dealbata, i. e. with the exception of Leptospermum ericoides, Gymnelaea lanceolata and Pseudopanax crassifolium, all tree and shrub species are present as seedlings. Olearia furfuracea and Cyathea dealbata, although present as seedlings and recorded as being present in 195*+, 1958 and 1963, were not found in 196T. Neopanax arboreum, Dysoxylum spectabile and Olearia furfuracea have not previously been recorded as seedlings in this quadrat. The ground cover is predominantly of Doodia med• ia. Adiantum hispidulum, Asplenium lucidum and Phymatodes diver si folium are less common but still important in the ground cover. Gahnia lacera, Uncinia australis, Parsonsia heterophylla, Clematis paniculata and Oplismenus undulatifolius are also present.