Completed Projects
SILVICULTURAL TRIALS IN NATURALLY REGENERATING TOTARA
Project summary:
- A 3-year project for establishment and early monitoring of silvicultural trials in naturally-regenerating totara was completed in July 2009 by the Northland Totara Working Group (NTWG) with input from Tāne's Tree Trust (TTT).
- The Northland Totara Working Group was formed in 2005 to explore the timber production potential of totara (Podocarpus totara). The Working Group, co-ordinated by the NZ Landcare Trust, includes TTT, Scion and Future Forests Research.
- The project was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Sustainable Farming Fund with in-kind contributions from landowners and local Northland Councils.
- The prolific natural regeneration capacity of totara offers a unique opportunity for farm diversification in Northland and other regions of New Zealand. Thinning and pruning trials have been established in three Northland regions.
- Two years since stands were thinned, mean diameter growth rates of residual trees in thinned plots had increased 2-4 fold compared to non-thinned control plots. There continued to be virtually no windthrow losses from thinned plots but significant mortality is continuing in the non-thinned control plots.
- Remeasurement of thinning and pruning trials is planned for mid 2012 (5 years after established), subject to future funding applications.
Outputs:
- Tāne's Tree Trust is exploring opportunities for nationwide extension of this work and is collaborating with the Mountford Trimble Foundation in the management of pole totara in the Wairarapa.
- Numerous field days and seminars have been held and articles, conference papers and newsletters have been produced.
- Publications and reports:
- Bergin, D. O. 2007: Establishment of silvicultural trials in naturally-regenerating stands of totara on farmland, Northland, New Zealand. Contract Report 12565 (unpubl.). Scion, Rotorua. 21p.
- Bergin, D. O. 2008: Silvicultural trials and wood quality studies with naturally-regenerating stands of totara stands, Northland, New Zealand. Second Year Progress Report for the Northland Totara Working Group. Contract Report (unpubl.). Scion, Rotorua. 21p.
- Bergin, D.; Kimberley, M. 2009: Silvicultural Trials and Wood Quality Studies with Naturally-RegeneratingTotara, Northland, New Zealand. Third Year Progress Report for the Northland Totara Working Group. Contract Report, Scion (unpubl.). 30p.
- Bergin, D.; Kimberley, M. 2010: Thinning and pruning of totara-dominant naturally regenerating forest in Northland. In: Barton, I.; Gadgil, R.; Bergin, D. (Eds.): Managing native trees. Towards a national strategy. Proceedings of the Tāne's Tree Trust 10th anniversary conference and workshops held at The University of Waikato, 18-20 November 2009. Tāne's Tree Trust. 39-43.
Contact for this project:
- Dr David Bergin, Scion, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua
LANDOWNER GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING TOTARA
Project summary:
- A guide has been produced to provide a preliminary method for landowners, with little or no knowledge of totara, to assess the nature of their regenerating totara forest. The project was funded by the New Zealand Foundation of Research, Science and Technology (FoRST) Envirolink and undertaken by Scion for the Northland Regional Council.
- The survey method enables a rapid preliminary estimate of the area and broad characteristics of the resource to allow consideration of options for future management. Where there is interest in developing and utilising this resource, a more comprehensive stand assessment will be required.
- Sources of information on forest inventory includes a link to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's website with information on provisions for sustainable management of native forest.
Output:
- Bergin, D. 2009: Assessing regenerating totara on the farm. A preliminary guide for landowners in Northland. Contract Report for the Northland Regional Council. Contract Report (unpubl.). Scion, Rotorua. 27p.
Contact for this project:
- Dr David Bergin, Scion, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua
TTT REGIONAL WORKSHOPS
Project summary:
- During the past 10 years, Tāne's Tree Trust (TTT), with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry'sSustainable Farming Fund, and Scion via Future Forests Research's Diverse Species Theme, has run workshops and associated field trips in order to encourage the planting and management of native forest.
- The workshops have involved collaboration with local branches of the NZ Farm Forestry Association, Regional Councils, Nga Whenua Rahui and iwi, landowners, the NZ Institute of Forestry, as well as community groups and other local councils.
- Up to five TTT trustees speak at each workshop and cover a range of topics including ecology and physiology of native trees, choice of species, establishment methods, use of nurse crops, long-term management, and the principles of Continuous Cover Forestry. There is always a local perspective and a visit to nearby planting sites.
- Nearly 20 workshops have been held nationwide over the last decade These included:
- North Island workshops:
- Kaitaia, Whangarei, Kaukapakapa, Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Hawkes Bay, Marton, Wairarapa and Wellington. - South Island workshops:
- Nelson, Marlborough, Rangiora, Geraldine, Gore and Invercargill.
- North Island workshops:
Project outcomes:
- Analysis of formal feedback forms has indicated that the quality of the presentations, the material provided and the field trips have all been greatly appreciated.
- The Trust has been inundated with requests for further workshops. Funding is being sought for extension of the programme to include other locations including further focus on, Maori Trusts and iwi.
Contact for this project:
- Ian Barton, Tāne's Tree Trust
METHODOLOGY FOR RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF NATURALLY-REGENERATING TOTARA
Project summary:
- In Northland totara (Podocapus totara) is clearly abundant on much of the hill country pastures, riparian margins and in regenerating indigenous scrub and forest areas but the extent of this resource is not known.
- A project, undertaken by Chris Kennedy with assistance of Paul Quilan (both of Podocarpus Limited), has been completed recently aimed at developing a method for estimating the resource of totara. This Tāne's Tree Trust (TTT) project was funded by the ASB Community Trust and TTT and is part of several initiatives underway by the Northland Totara Working Group.
- A sampling methodology was developed using a combination of digital mapping technology and forestry inventory methods within a selected study area in Northland to provide an estimate of the quantity and quality of the existing totara resource.
- The results show the quantity of regenerating totara is relatively large although highly variable in spatial distribution. It is estimated that in the Northland region there is approximately 26% of the land cover (265,000 ha) where at least some totara is present. Approximately 70,000 ha (7%) of this regional total is estimated to be totara that has reasonable tree form and stocking greater than 300 stems per ha.
- A large proportion of trees are small to medium in size. The average quality or tree form is significantly higher in stands dominanted by totara or within mixed species shrubland and forest areas, compared to scattered individual trees in open 'paddock' situations.
- The characteristics of the resource surveyed in this study suggest that scope exists to improve tree quality through silvicultural operations - potentially leading to significantly improved quality of recoverable timber.
- This tentative regional estimation, points to a significant total regional volume that could potentially become a sustainable source of timber in the future.
Output:
- Kennedy, C. 2007: Developing methodology for resource assessment of naturally regenerating totara in the Whangaroa Community Area, Northland, New Zealand. Tāne's Tree Trust Report for the Northland Totara Working Group. 30p.
Contacts for this project:
- Chris Kennedy, Podocarpus Ltd., Northland
- Paul Quinlan, Podocarpus Ltd., Northland
TTT INDIGENOUS FORESTRY ARCHIVE DATABASE PROJECT
Background:
- It has been estimated that in today's terms, more than $50 million was invested on indigenous research between 1920 and 1987 (Ian Barton, pers. comm.). Much of the early work was never written up formally, let alone published, and is only known from file and diary notes.
- With the demise of the New Zealand Forest Service in 1987 many departmental files were archived. Others were destroyed or fragmented and some were stored by former forest officers. It was known that intact files are held by Forest Research, Landcare Research, the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Archives New Zealand.
- The absence of any unified record of the location and content of these research files was impeding access to information. It was clear that new trial work would be more effective if it could build on previous research and experience.
Project summary:
- In one of its early projects, Tāne's Tree Trust (TTT) organised the retrieval and documentation of as many historical records relating to planted indigenous forests in New Zealand as possible. This was done in collaboration with Scion, Landcare Research, DoC, Archives NZ and other agencies.
- TTT has completed the setting up of an archive of historical references with a focus on the establishment and management of native trees for multiple purposes including timber production.
- Supported mainly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Sustainable Farming Fund and in collaboration with many agencies and former employees of the Forest Service, TTT contracted several individuals to locate relevant documents. Content and quality of the information was reviewed and potentially-useful material was annotated and indexed. Location was noted and important files were moved into safer storage.
Output:
- The new archive consists of an annotated bibliography on indigenous forestry, now available on the internet. The TTT Indigenous Forestry Archive Database can be accessed at www.tanestrees.org/archivedb/index.php where users can obtain information through keyword searches.
Contact for this project:
- Michael Bergin, Environmental Restoration Ltd
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