Flood Disturbance and the Coexistence of Species in a Lowland Podocarp Forest, South Westland, New Zealand

Abstract

The structure and composition of four forest stands affected by catastrophic floods on a lowland floodplain, south Westland, New Zealand, was investigated using stand history reconstruction. Age and size structures, and tree locations were used to identify cohorts of trees that were initiated by flood events. This, along with information on species microsite preferences and spatial patterning, was used to reconstruct the patterns of establishment of the four dominant canopy trees (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, Dacrydium cupressinum, Prumnopitys ferruginea and Weinmannia racemosa) in response to flood disturbance. The four species coexisted by partitioning establishment sites with respect to the amount of overhead cover and the type of forest floor microsite (...)