Northern rata ( Metrosideros robusta): a species in decline?

INTRODUCTION Northern rata (Metrosideros robusta A.Cunn) may be one of New Zealand’s most fabulous native plants but Society members have previously held a very low opinion of the species. Zotov called it ...the killer... (Zotov 1948) and John Dawson labeled it ...a strangling epiphyte... (Dawson 1967). It is, nonetheless, a key component of forested ecosystems in the Wellington region and has even been the subject of re-worked children’s stories (see Druce 1971). Despite its wide New Zealand distribution and an apparently aggressive growth habit questions are now being asked as to whether northern rata will continue to survive throughout its natural range without human intervention. At plenty of sites it is thriving, but for how long? It is not currently regarded as threatened, nationally or regionally but does that mean the species is undeserving of conservation management attention? Thankfully, the ecological role of northern rata in forested ecosystems and its importance as a flagship species in conservation management of New Zealand’s native forests has been recognised. Project Crimson (www. projectcrimson.org.nz) has been promoting rata conservation since 1990. Several years ago the Department of Conservation obtained funding from Project Crimson to assess the wild status of northern rata in Wellington (McKessar and Sawyer 1999). The purpose of this work was to ascertain the extent to which the species had declined and to provide baseline information about the species’ status against which future assessments can be made.