Tāne’s Tree Trust

Archive Database

Podocarp Forests, Westland - investigations, Vol 1

Document Type
General papers, Numerical data, File notes
Author
Chavasse, C.G.R., Holloway, J.T., Bannister, M.H., Watson, J.S.
Project Creator
NZ Forest Service
Current Holder
Forest Research Institute
Accession Number
TTT000168
Old Accession Number
TTT000168
Location
Room 927 Lever Arch FRI 28/4/5, Vol 1
MS Number
FRI 166
Future Storage
Forest Research Institute archives
Period
1952-57
Volume
150 pp
Content
Index to tagged sections. Most of the folder contents, apart from 'philosophical ramblings' of Holloway and Chavasse, are concerned with a seed tray experiment to assess abundance, periodicity and dispersal of rimu seed. Germination or viability tests were done by Bannister at FRI and results are given. Establishment of this trial in cutover silver pine forest near rimu stand is discussed by Chavasse in a memo dated 29.3.54. 1953 was thought to be an exceptional year for a heavy rimu seed crop with abundant development of fleshy red receptacles attracting large numbers of kereru (a rare event). In some years sound rimu seed may be produced in Westland without fleshy receptacles. There are scattered notes about the attraction of rimu seeds to ship rats and mice. J S Watson, a rodent expert, mentions that a proportion of rimu seed is likely to be eaten in the tree crowns by greenfinches and redpolls, and to a lesser extent chaffinches (memo 24.7.56, Tag 4), discussed by Bannister (5.3.54), recognised that wetas can eat seed and leave fragmented seed coats.
Source
Wanganui Forest, Westland terrace forest
General Note
This volume seems to refer to earlier work only (1950s), later work recorded in Vol 2 (TTT 169). Since demise of NZFS in 1987 research on Westland forests mainly carried out by Canterbury School of Forestry (Davis, Norton et al).
Sort
Index
Publish
Reference source only
Researchers
G Chavasse, M Bannister
Security
Medium
Restriction
Subject to FRI approval
Species
rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides), silver pine or manoao (Lagarostrobus colensoi)
Keywords
Rimu, Seed, Seedfall, Wanganui Terrace Forest, Westland Forest
Subject Areas