Mike Lazzari wrote
> Brian, Why the northern beeches? Are the /Nothofagus* */deficient?
>
> Mike
http://www.brianswale.com/zuikoholics/PA270644-crop-MtCook&birches-
1000.jpg
Birches, not beeches; Betula (maybe Betula verrucosa, B. pendula) NZ has
a long history of using European and Scandinavian trees as well as North
American trees. Not Fagus, which would not cope with the low soil fertility,
erratic rain, and frequent gales.
In comparison, the Southern Hemisphere beeches, Nothofagus, grow very
slowly. They are also evergreen vs the deciduous birches with their autumn
colours and fresh spring growth.
This is a very windy, harsh site. It is somewhat modified; these lakes were
raised by damming, and new roads carved around them, with attention given
to landscaping. This included planting pines such as Pinus contorta and
Pinus nigra, and deciduous angiosperm genera Betula and Populus.
I think that by and large the engineers have succeeded. To my eyes the
appearance is pleasant.
The "new" Department of Conservation has planted some Nothofagus
cliffortioides (Mountain beech) along the lake shores, but sitting all alone
they are dreadfully wind-blasted and deformed. That species does much
better as a forest with mutual sheltering. Probably there is no commercial
nursery source of Nothofagus seedlings.
Brian Swale.
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