The Impact of Browsing Animals on the Stand Dynamics of Monotypic Mountain Beech (Nothofagus solandri) Forests in Canterbury, New Zealand

Abstract

Mountain beech is frequently the sole canopy species in the montane forests of Canterbury, New Zealand and often the only significant tree or shrub present over large areas and this allows examination of a very simple ecosystem. Data from remeasurement of over 400 permanent quadrats in six areas are examined to elucidate the impact of browsing animals on natural processes. The changes in basic parameters such as stand density and basal area over a decade form consistent patterns in both visual and statistical techniques and this allows identification of important quadrats for detailed study. The basic relationship between density and basal area follows well an established semi-logarithmic relationship, even in decade by decade changes on individual quadrats. Deviations in this pattern can be related to natural disturbance events. The impact of browsing animals, mainly red deer (Cervus elaphus) varied between the different areas. Although numbers peaked in the 1930s and 1940s and declined through commercial hunting in the 1960s-1980s, the impact on the vegetation remains and will persist for many decades.