Tuatara: Volume 21, Issue 3, April 1975
An Example of a Transect in Forest
An Example of a Transect in Forest
Location: Lady Alice Island, Chickens group.
Date: 28/3/1971.
Recorder: I. A. E. Atkinson.
Vegetation type: Metrosideros excelsa-Vitex lucens forest.
Site type: Ridge crest.
Position: Climb slope westwards from main valley draining into South Cove. On reaching crest of ridge, proceed southwards and then south-south-eastwards along the ridge until shortly before it drops steeply towards Koputotara Point. At this place a trench-like depression about 4 m wide and from 1 to 5 m deep crosses the ridge in a NW-SE direction. A large pohutukawa tree, with three trunks branching 1.5 m above ground, grows on the ridge crest at the southern edge of the trench. The marker post and point of origin of the transect (waratah steel standard) is six paces from the base of this pohutukawa on a magnetic bearing of 225°.
Approx. altitude: 60 m. | Slope: < 2°. |
Bearing of transect centre-line from point of origin: 247° (magnetic). | |
General: Marine shells (from Maori middens) are scattered over the site. | |
Point analysis of canopy: (n = 25). | |
Species | % crown cover |
Metrosideros excelsa | 76 |
Vitex lucens | 20 |
Sophora microphylla | 4 |
Point analysis of upper understorey (> 2 m, n = 25) | |
Species | % crown cover |
Beilschmiedia tawa | 4 |
Corynocarpus laevigatus | 12 |
Dysoxylum spectabile | 36 |
Hoheria populnea | 4 |
Melicytus ramiflorus | 4 |
Nestegis apetala | 4 |
Nil observations (= no crowns present) | 36 |
Details of plants recorded within transect (Tables 1, 2, Fig. 2). |