Kauri Ecology

The kauri family

The New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis) belongs to one of the world's oldest family of conifers, the Araucariaceae family.

The Araucariaceae family includes three groups (or genera):

1. Araucaria, which has 19 species, including Norfolk pine and monkey puzzle.

2. Wollemia, with just one species the Wollemi pine from New South Wales, Australia

3. Agathis, with 21 tree species, found in forests from South-East Asia to the western Pacific. All the trees in the

Agathis genus are generally known today as kauri.

Kauri forest

The present distribution of kauri is restricted to warm northern regions above the latitude of 38°S (north of Kawhia-Hamilton-Tauranga).

The site, soil and temperature determine the type of forest that naturally contains kauri.

There is no 'typical kauri forest': kauri can exist as solitary trees in broad leaf dominant bush or as dense stands.

In a forest environment, mature kauri emerge above the canopy of other native trees. The lower forest can contain a variety of tree species including totara, tanekaha, taraire, tawa, miro and rewarewa alongside juvenile kauri.

At the shrub level a range of plant species can be found including tree ferns, nikau palms, lancewood, hangehange and mingimingi. Kauri grass is commonly found covering the ground below kauri.

Kauri growth requires high light levels but can tolerate low soil nutrient levels. Consequently, kauri seedlings are often suppressed under dense canopies of faster growing species in fertile soils. As a result kauri are often restricted to less fertile soils on ridges or establish en masse after a large disturbance such as a fire.

A range of orchids and epiphytic plants are also often found perching amongst the branches of mature trees.

See Care for Kauri guide for more information