A Forest Community decides its destiny
Succession and regeneration in the forest are always different as differences in nearby trees, soil, topography, and weather stimulate the growth of some colonising trees more than others. The nearer species downwind and within flight of birds decide what seeds can come into the area, but not what will germinate.
If a mature forest s cleared and put into grass, as where parts of Harmony, then many of the seeds in the ground will be of final stage trees that need the shade of intermediate stage forest to germinate. If the forest was mixed broadleaf-podocarp forest, such as Harmony, pioneer trees along the edges and where mature trees fall within the forest, will have put seeds into the ground, and they will be waiting.
It is still always interesting what comes up.
Harmony has long known its destiny and many foresters have given protection to the forest that has allowed it to grow as it knows it must.
The lands purpose in the great order of things determines that every type of plant must be present in a community that represents as many beings as is practical.
The first pioneers to replace the grass patches at Harmony include tree fern, pittosporum, broadleaf, and tree fuchsia. At a young 30-120 years of age the various forests within Harmony still retain the character of these pioneers. There are extensive colonies of tree ferns, scattered with mature broadleaf, lines of tree fuchsias at forest edge, areas with and without pittosporums.
At different altitudes there are forests of young NZ cedar, areas of mostly all totara, and others of mixed totara and miro. For some divine reason young rimu have still not been found and those introduced have not flourished, though there are several mature trees remaining.
Expressing their love of trees the early pioneers only took timber trees (podocarps) from a section of forest that was wet and steep and would not have made good grass pasture. The early citizens of the city also decided to take their water from two of Harmony’s three creeks and thus much the catchment area was not clear felled and burned. Then as was the plan they stopped taking the water and Harmony’s creeks returned to untouched bounties of living water energy.
Harmony is unique. Every forest is.
Harmony’s community has a purpose. Every community does.
Harmony Forest plans its future. Every community does.
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