Endemic to New Zealand occurring on North Island, and on South Island where it is restricted to the Tasman district. A generally rare species that produces valuable timber resulting in past over exploitation.
Distribution
Endemic to New Zealand occurring on North Island, and on South Island where it is restricted to the Tasman district. In the North present from Te Paki (Radar Bush) south to about the southern Kawhia Harbour (in the west) and near Gisborne (in the East), thence disjunct to north-west Nelson, where it grows locally around the Golden Bay area from about Puponga south to the Anatori River (NZPCN 2006)
Habitat and Ecology
This species occurs in the lowland evergreen rainforests of the mixed angiosperm-conifer class, where it is a canopy tree with other conifers, e.g. Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, Dacrydium cupressinum, Halocarpus kirkii, Manoao colensoi, Phyllocladus trichomanoides, Podocarpus cunninghamii, P. totara, Prumnopitys ferruginea, P. taxifolia and in the far north of North Island Agathis australis. Undisturbed forest of this type can have as many as eight conifer genera (and species) on a single hectare (Ogden et al.1993), but forest clearance as well as selective logging of 'pines' have drastically reduced these species-rich forests especially in the lowlands. Various angiosperms are mixed in, e.g. Beilschmiedia tarairi, Dysoxylum spectabile, and Leptospermum scoparium, but conifers (especially Agathis) can form groves with few angiosperms, forming a mozaic pattern rather than an evenly mixed forest. The altitudinal range is from near sea level to 600 m a.s.l. Especially in gaps tree ferns can become abundant. These forests receive abundant rainfall throughout the year and temperatures are mild in winter and warm in summer.
Human Uses
The wood of this species is dark reddish brown, fine-grained and often beautifully figured and therefore prized for furniture and wood panelling. Its rarity and at least in recent times protection from exploitation causes it to be of little economic value.
Conservation Status
Global Status
Near Threatened
Global Rationale
The area of occupancy is estimated to be 1,250 km2 which is within the threshold for vulnerable. There has been an unquantified historical decline due to exploitation for timber and forest conversion for agriculture. This decline has ceased and many formerly logged-out forest parcels are now regenerating. However, this species requires large forested areas for its life cycle and persistence in the forest structure and succession. It seems therefore appropriate to flag it as Near Threatened, until an increase of mature individuals is apparent. At that stage it would most likely be assessed as Least Concern
National Status
At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
Conservation Actions
This species occurs within several protected areas, but also on private lands.
References and further reading
Enright, N.J. and Ogden, J. 1995. The southern conifers - a synthesis. In: N.J. Enright and R.S. Hill (eds), Ecology of the Southern Conifers, pp. 341. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne
Ogden, J., Lusk, C.H. and Steel, M.G. 1993. Episodic mortality, forest decline and diversity in a dynamic landscape: Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. In: D. Mueller-Dombois and R.F. Huettl (eds), Forest Decline in the Atlantic and Pacific Region, pp. 261-274. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany.
