Relationships between pteridophytes and topography in a lowland South Westland podocarp forest

Abstract

The distribution of pteridophytes in a lowland podocarp forest was found to be strongly correlated with environmental variables associated with soil wetness, with poorly drained outwash terraces supporting a different pteridophyte assemblage from better drained moraine ridges. Canopy composition appears to have a secondary influence on pteridophyte distribution, primarily though the restriction of some species to recently disturbed sites. Although individual pteridophyte species showed marked changes in abundance along environmental (soil wetness) gradients, species groups appear better indicators of topographical position.

Keywords:

• ground vegetation
• soil-vegetation relations
• pteridophytes
• gradient analysis
• indicator species
• New Zealand