Forest succession on landslides in the Fiord Ecological Region, southwestern New Zealand

Abstract Primary succession to montane rain forest on the bare slip faces of landslides is described from three variously aged slides with plot and plotless data, 24 years after a previous study, and is related to adjacent mature forest. Over a 15-102 yr period striking successional changes occurred in both vegetation and flora. The dominant pioneer, Leptospermum scoparium, persists with decreasing importance in the canopy beyond a century, with regeneration failing completely from the seventh decade. Metrosideros umbellata, Weinmannia racemosa, and Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides establish early and dominate the mid-successional stages but only W. racemosa maintains a major role in the mature forest, chiefly beneath a canopy of No thofagus menziesii at c. 26 m. Although some species persist throughout the succession and into the mature forest most characterise particular stages and several were recorded only in the mature forest. Among the 90 vascular plant taxa recorded, richness was variable (3...

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