Natural areas of Tutamoe Ecological District (3. Ecological character)

Maori and in particular European settlement resulted in significant
modification to the District through agriculture, kauri extraction and the
gum industry.
These excerpts from Eadie, Burns and Leathwick (1987) describe landscape
effects of Maori and European occupation in the Waipoua area.
“Much of the coastal and inland areas that are in scrub today had
their forest cover first burnt in pre-European times. Other areas cleared
and inhabited can be recognised by the presence today of large kanuka
and coppices of karaka (used for food).”
“Historical evidence indicates regular, extensive burning of the current
scrub prior to European occupation. Much of the lower Waipoua River
Valley and coastal area was a well developed grassland at the time
of the first gumdigger. The gumdiggers themselves lit numerous small
fires to clear vegetation and hence make digging easier.”
Up to 600 gumdiggers lived on the gumfields near Kawerua, at the height
of the gumdigger period.
Eadie, Leathwick and Burns suggest that kauri, kanuka, miro and Hall’s
totara forest may be very similar to the original coastal forest type in
the Waipoua area.
The Waipoua Forest was originally purchased from Maori in 1876. World
War II initiated the beginning of intensive logging within the forest and
this continued until 1948. It is likely that the forest was ‘saved’ prior to
World War II because of difficulties in accessing and removing timber.
It was not until 1952 that the forest was finally protected (Eadie, Burns
and Leathwick 1987).
Maunganui Bluff became a reserve in 1911. “It is likely that the original
vegetation on the more sheltered parts was similar in nature to that of
Waipoua Forest i.e. kauri (dense in places and sparse at others) with
podocarps and northern rata reaching far above a canopy of tawa
and taraire where the kauris are few. It is evident that all useable
timber was removed, probably early this century.”
“Since then there have been many fires. Cattle have grazed and browsed
all the accessible parts for a very long time, probably continuously
since the land was reserved.”
(Esler and Dobbins 1977)
3.3.2 Broad pattern
The Tutamoe Ecological District is notable for the fact that over 50%
(57.4%) of the Ecological District comprises natural areas including areas
of old growth, unmodified forest.
The Waipoua/Mataraua/Waima Forest tract represents 38.9% of the land
area of the Ecological District or 67.7% cover of the natural areas
identified in this report.
The uniqueness of this District is reflected particularly in its vegetative
associations e.g. high altitude swamp forest on the Tutamoe Plateau
defined by kiekie, supplejack and towai with maire tawake and emergent
PNAP reconnasance survey report
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