Vegetation studies on Secretary Island, Fiordland

Abstract

Secretary Island is an area of Fiordland still unmodified by introduced browsing mammals. The original ecological work on the island has been supplemented by later visits, and the classification of communities has been simplified and extended. Sampling by line interception was continued in snow-tussock herbfield and by the quarter method in low forest dominated by Melicytus ramiflorus on exposed coastal talus, as well as in lowland beech-podocarp forest. The earlier conclusions that podocarps are increasing at the expense of beeches near sea level and that silver beech is increasing at the expense of mountain beech are confirmed.