A Study of Nothofagus Forest Composition and Age Structure on the St. Arnaud Range

Abstract

Location and Methods Used in Collecting Data (a) Location To the north of the Lewis Pass, the main mountain axis of the South Island, swings away from an alignment paralleling the coast to the north east, following the Alpine Fault. (Wellman 1956). Instead of the contrast between wet heavily forested mountains of the west flanks and the drier eastern ranges and plains there is a wide mountainous region of intermediate rainfall of 2,500 mm/annum (Host 1965). This inland area is one of extensive beech forests, being broken below treeline only by areas which have been cleared for farming.