Common name: Towai – tawa forest
Code: A: BPF7
Where does it occur?
This alliance occurs in Northland (Waipoua Forest, Puketi, Waikere) and the Coromandel, primarily in lowland and low montane areas, below 640 m.
Description
Stands are consistently dominated by Weinmannia silvicola and Beilschmiedia tawa in the canopy and Freycinetia banksii in the subcanopy. Dysoxylum spectabile, Podocarpus hallii, Prumnopitys ferruginea, Agathis australis, Beilschmiedia taraire, and Dacrydium cupressinum frequently occur in the canopy and Cyathea dealbata frequently occurs in the subcanopy. Indicator species include Weinmannia silvicola, Blechnum fraseri, Metrosideros albiflora, Astelia trinervia, Lygodium articulatum and Brachyglottis kirkii. Species richness is high, with on average 50 species per plot. No exotics have been recorded.
Indicator species
Co-occurrence of Astelia trinerva and Beilschmiedia tawa OR
Blechnum fraseri, Pseudopanax crassifolius and Weinmannia silvicola OR
Freycinetia banksii, Ixerba brexioides and Weinmannia silvicola.
Stand characteristics
| Mean canopy height (m): | 22 m (range 2–40) |
Synonyms
| Relationship | Name | Author |
|---|---|---|
| includes | Conifer/broadleaved forests of lower altitudes: Mixed forests of Northland and Auckland | Wardle (1991) |
| overlaps with | Tawa, Weinmannia, podocarp forest | Singers & Rogers (unpublished) |
| includes | Rimu, taraire, tawa forest | Singers & Rogers (unpublished) |
| overlaps with | Kauri forest | Singers & Rogers (unpublished) |
| includes | Kauri, podocarp, broadleaved forest | Singers & Rogers (unpublished) |
| overlaps with | Tawa, kohekohe, mangeao, broadleaved, podocarp forest | Singers & Rogers (unpublished) |
Component Associations
Weinmannia silvicola - Beilschmiedia tarairi - Beilschmiedia tawa – (Dysoxlyum spectabile - Agathis australis) / Freycinetia banksii - Dicksonia squarrosa forest
Common name: Tawhero – tarairi – tawa forest with kohekohe and kauri
Code: a: BLP16
Where does it occur?
This 37 800 ha association has been sampled primarily from the far north of the North Island but also from the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. Sites range from flat to steeply sloping (50º). Altitudes range from 30 to 760 m.
Description
This forest association is, on average, 21 m tall but can range from 2 to 37 m. It tends to be species-rich with an average of 65 species on a plot which can range from 56 to 81. On average, there are very few (less than 1%) exotic species present.
