New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Ecology of Nothofagus menziesii in the Catlins Ecological Region, South-east Otago, New Zealand (II) Seedling establishment

R. B. ALLEN

Botany Division, DSIR
Private Bag, Dunedin, New Zealand

Abstract Nothofagus menziesii seedling estab- lishment in the Catlins Ecological Region was investigated with respect to microsite preference and the physical characteristics and vegetation of the surrounding site. The mycorrhizal status of wild seedlings was recorded. The germination and establishment of N. menziesii in different forest soils, which were sterilised and provided with mycorrhizal inoculum, were investigated. Site physical characteristics, and density and cover of woody plants, had little effect on N. menziesii seed- ling establishment. Raised, bryophyte-covered microsites provide optimum moisture and light conditions for N. menziesii establishment in the wild. Nothofagus seedlings can form effective mycorrhizal associations within both Nothofagus and other forest types in the Catlins. Under experi- mental conditions, seedling growth was best on relatively fertile podocarp forest soil, intermediate on Nothofagus forest soil, and poor on Weinman- nia-Metrosideros forest soil. Performance on the last soil was due at least in part to the failure of seed- lings to form mycorrhizal associations, despite pro- vision of mycorrhizal inoculum and success in mycorrhizal establishment under similar condi- tions in the other two soils.

Keywords Nothofagus menziesii; Catlins Ecological Region; seedling establishment

Received 14 April 1986; accepted 3 June 1986
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1987, Vol.25: 11-16
0028-825X/87/2501-0011$2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1987

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (554K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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