2.4 Establishment and Management of Indigenous Plantation Forest

Authors: A. Dykgraaf
Publication: NZIF Forestry Handbook, Volume Section 2 – Indigenous forests, pp 4, Dec 2023
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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Abstract: Interest has increased in the wider community in developing sustainable management systems for the planting and management of indigenous timber species for market and non-market benefits. This ‘new’ forest resource will largely be stands of indigenous timber trees that have been planted on previously cleared land, but may also include managed naturally regenerating second-growth stands that have developed on farmland since clearance of the original forest cover. The current indigenous forestry research programme at Forest Research, Rotorua, is continuing to evaluate the potential and performance of planted high-value indigenous timber tree species. This includes the major indigenous conifer timber species (with initial focus on totara (Podocarpus totara) and kauri (Agathis australis)) and selected hardwood tree species. Beech (Nothofagus spp.) is not included in the programme where resources permit. The programme builds on the considerable experience in the planting of indigenous trees by the former New Zealand Forest Service and other agencies over many several decades.

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