Lakeside wilding pines targeted

Boaties and fishermen who use the tall radiata pines near Lake Taupo¯ ’s Rangatira Point for navigation may notice a change to their colour in the coming weeks.

The evergreen species will start to look decidedly deciduous by early June, say contractors who have poisoned the trees as part of ongoing wilding pine work led by the Waikato Regional Council, in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Trees near the Rangatira Point track have been felled and the track cleared as part of the work which aims to restore the forest to native vegetation. Those near the track were felled over several days in early May to prevent the risk of them falling on the walkway in future.

Singers Ecological associate ecologist Alana Delich, who has been project managing the operation, was pleased the track had been reopened ahead of time.

Poisoning the other pines, which aggressively outcompete native trees, was much better for the forest than widespread felling, she said.

‘‘They slowly break down over time. Better that, rather than going in there with logging equipment which destroys the surrounding forest in the extraction process and creates bare soil where new pines are likely to germinate.’’

Poisoning meant seeds in the cones were also killed so less germination underneath, Delich said. Some of the trees have been around for a long time, with the contractors counting 86 annual rings on one.

‘‘Now that those trees have been felled there are plans in the next couple of months to plant some natives, such as to¯ tara, in the light gaps to speed up the native regeneration.’’

The work had approval from Rangatira Point Block Incorporation who are the landowners of the area.