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

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imu. In Waipoua Forest Sanctuary and the expanded protected areas, the intricate relationship between soil processes, altitude and forest type, are well described by Eadie, Burns and Leathwick (1987). They recognise 13 different forest types, which include two lowland coastal types described as mamangi-mapou-kanuka and taraire/kohekohe-karaka-nikau forest. On well-drained, lowland areas kauri/mamangi-kanuka-towai and taraire-towai/ kohekohe forest is prevalent and grades into extensive areas of taraire/ kohekohe and kauri/taraire forest at mid-altitude. Also at middle altitudes are variants of towai-kanuka-miro-Hall’s totara forest with different frequencies of taraire and kauri. At high altitude, towai-tawa forest is found with varying proportions of rimu, miro, northern rata and maire tawake. Seven shrubland types with different mixtures of Gleichenia- Baumea-manuka-Dracophyllum-towai and rewarewa (depending on soil type and topography) were also identified. Coastal and dune vegetation within Tutamoe Ecological District is much reduced from its former extent. A large amount of the tertiary back dunes have been developed for farmland or plantation forestry and primary coastal forest is restricted to the Maunganui Bluff and the lower Wairau River-Ohae Stream area, although much of the latter have been subject to historic modification. Shrubland on coastal hillslopes and cliffs is perhaps best represented at Maunganui Bluff where an intricate mix of coastal associations occupies the coastal cliffs to an altitude of over 300 m asl. Dominant species include harakeke, toetoe, native iceplant, kowharawhara, Isolepis spp., Juncus spp., mapou, taupata, kiekie, hangehange, Rhabdothamus solandri, Hebe spp., manuka, mingimingi, mahoe, and pohutukawa. Similar associations are to be found around Hokianga South Head, but these have been subjected to much more intense modification and are restricted to small remnants. Associations on dune complexes within Tutamoe Ecological District include various mixtures of primary sand-binding and woody stablilising plants. A good example of the diversity of plant associations can be found around the Muriwai Lagoon, south of the Waipoua River-mouth. Here, small wetlands have formed in the “slacks” between the back dunes, some within adjacent farmed land. Baumea articulata, harakeke, raupo, kiokio, and manuka rapidly loose dominance to toetoe, knobby clubrush, Ozothamnus, and pohuehue moving towards the coast. Small pockets of pohutukawa remain in places between back dunes, the understorey and groundcover consisting of kowharawhara, NZ spinach, Coprosma macrocarpa, C. rhamnoides, ngaio, and hangehange. Closer to the foredunes, oioi, Coprosma acerosa, Pimelea prostrata and Leucopogon fraseri make an appearance before giving away to the true sand-binders of the foredune such as Spinifex, pingao and shore bindweed. Freshwater wetlands are few, but the best examples being amongst the consolidated dune sands south of the Waipoua River. Where deep dune lakes have formed, vegetation is largely restricted to a peripheral reed zone usually comprising raupo, Baumea articulata or Eleocharis 18 Natural areas of Tutamoe Ecological District
sphacelata. Where the adjoining land is not grazed, rush-like sedge associates melt into manuka, wheki and ti kouka dominant associations. Harakeke and bracken also dominate in the more fertile drier sites. 3.3.3 Main vegetation types Due to the reconnaissance nature of this survey there are undoubtedly many more vegetation types and ecological units found within the Tutamoe Ecological District which have not been recorded in this report. In the vegetation classification system used for this study the term ‘coastal’ has only been applied to vegetation that directly occurs on the coast or is in 1 km from the coast. The extent of vegetation types recorded in this study are listed in Table 2 (pg 159). The following section describes the main vegetation types recorded across the Ecological District. Freshwater wetlands Freshwater wetlands are recorded from 7 sites (only 0.41% of the natural areas surveyed) occurring along the western side of the District. Muriwai Stream Swamp (O06/026) on the west coast is a very significant wetland in Northland and is the largest wetland in the Tutamoe Ecological District containing a mosaic of wetland vegetation types. This site is contiguous with the coastal wetland of Waipoua Coastal Strip and Taha Moana Scenic Reserve (O06/027). (i) Open water occurs at 3 sites. Te Riu Lagoon (O06/025) and Lake Waingata North (O06/036) are dunelakes. The remaining site is a small pond in the south of the District, Monteith South Road Shrubland (P07/002). (ii) Three sites contain raupo dominant ecologicial units—O06/015, O06/025 and O06/026. (iii) Uncommon freshwater wetland vegetation types in this survey include: • Baumea articulata (O06/025) • Baumea arthrophylla-B. juncea (O06/036) • Ti kouka-harakeke (O06/026) • Eleocharis sphacelata (O06/025) • Eleocharis sphacelata-Baumea articulata (O06/036) • Eleocharis sp.-raupo (O06/026) • Harakeke (O06/026) • Manuka-ti kouka (O06/026) • Rush sp.-raupo (O06/026) A lagoon occurs at O06/027. The following ecological units were recorded: • Carex sp. occurs on lagoon margin • Marsh clubrush with raupo occurs in the lagoon along with; • Oioi and knobby clubrush PNAP reconnasance survey report 19
Page 1 and 2: 3. Ecological character 3.1 TOPOGRA
Page 3: Maori and in particular European se
Page 7 and 8: • Astelia solandri-Chionochloa br
Page 9 and 10: Podocarp forest Kahikatea forest Ka
Page 11 and 12: Acutely threAtened Fungus (Undescri
Page 13 and 14: faces and rocky outcrops and is onl
Page 15 and 16: aukaua edgerleyi raukawa (Gradual D
Page 17 and 18: hymenophyllum atrovirens (Sparse) E
Page 19 and 20: Pimelea (f) Pimelea (f) is an endem
Page 21 and 22: coprosma dodonaeifolia Coprosma dod
Page 23 and 24: Griselinia littoralis Griselinia li
Page 25 and 26: loxsoma cunninghamii Loxsoma cunnin
Page 27 and 28: H015 and Waima Forests (SSBI O06/H0
Page 29 and 30: urtica ferox ongaonga 9 Ongaonga is
Page 31 and 32: pairs recorded in 2005 (4 pairs and
Page 33 and 34: has increased numbers with ‘overf
Page 35 and 36: Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis (S
Page 37 and 38: loss and competition with the intro
Page 39 and 40: earthworm dAtA deFIcIent Earthworm
Page 41 and 42: O07/005. It has a distinctive colou
Page 43 and 44: (NIWA 2006), O06/015 (SSBI O06/H014

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

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