New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Plant communities of Stewart Island (New Zealand)

HUGH D. WILSON*

Botany Division, DSIR Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract The vegetation of Stewart Island and adjacent smaller islands is relatively unmodified compared to New Zealand's much larger North and South Islands. Fire, milling, and farming have affected only small areas. The effects of introduced browsing mammals are widespread, but natural patterns of forest, scrub, shrubland, tussockland, grassland, herbfield, wetland, rock, and dune are largely intact. These patterns are mapped and described. 160 community types are recognised, named, and arranged in a hierarchical classifica- tion; their component species are listed, and salient features of their habitat and ecology are discussed. Several environmental factors are considered influ- ential in determining vegetation patterns. Topog- raphy affects local climates and soils by way of varying altitude, exposure to wind, proximity to the sea, and drainage. Also important are soil fer- tility, historical events, and recent disturbances such as fire or landslide.

Keywords Stewart Island; New Zealand; vege- tation; communities; altitudinal zonation; succes- sion; ecology; islands; distribution; habitats; vegetation map; browsing; forest; scrub; shrubland; tussockland; sedgeland; grassland; herbfield; fern- land; wetland; dunes

Vegetation of Stewart Island, New Zealand: 1-80 (Supplement to New Zealand Journal of Botany. 1987)

Received 28 April 1986; accepted 22 August 1986

New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1987, Vol. 25 © Crown copyright 1987

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (99K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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