New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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The changing vegetation structure and composition of a lowland mire at Plimmerton, North Island, New Zealand

R. G. Bagnall

Department of University Extension, Victoria University of Wellington, Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand

C. C. Ogle

8 Donlin Road, Pukerua Bay, New Zealand

Abstract The composition, structure, and biological status of the vegetation in a lowland topogenous mire were studied, with particular attention to the elucidation of current succes-sional patterns. Twenty-four vegetation types were described and mapped. Sedgeland and tussockland covers much of the mire, Carex lessoniana, Carex secta, and Phormium tenax being the major species. Only 50% of the 165 vascular species recorded from the mire are indigenous, although most of the exotic species are of only minor importance in the vegetation. Succession was found to be advancing in the earlier serai stages towards a Phormium tussockland, the more advanced stands of which showed serai reversal under the influence of a rising water table, preventing the development of mire shrubland and forestland.

Keywords plant succession; vegetation types; mire; Plimmerton, New Zealand; peat; adventive plants; indigenous plants; population age-structure; vegetation map; point-sampling

Received 12 September 1980; revision received 20   which forms the upper soils of the mire, now rises
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1981, Vol. 19:371-387

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (2277K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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