The importance of epiphytes, vines & mistletoes for NZ fauna

30/6/2013

I had the pleasure of watching a kaka dig for grubs in a NZ passionfruit vine (Passiflora tetrandra) at Maungatautari Ecological Island this weekend:

Epiphytes, vines and mistletoes are important for our native fauna. These plants provide food, nesting materials, habitat and water to many, many species. Consider the above example - the vine is providing habitat for the grub and food for the kaka.

There are many research opportunities within this topic - most of what we know is from casual observations as no one has yet quantified the diversity or abundance of fauna species that utilise these plants.

One more example for today - a wax eye enjoying the fruit of kiekie (Freycinetia banksii) in Hammond Bush, Hamilton:

2 Comments

ang wickham link

10/7/2013 11:34:16 am

Great to see fruiting kiekie in Hamilton!
When walking the bush up north, I noticed how many Kereru / Kukupa / Woodpigeons would take advantage of landing in tall Kauri - masses of epiphytes nestled in the branch roots - must have been all kinds of treats in there for them. Alas, i could not tree climb and did not have the camera lens to 'reach' them!

Catherine Kirby

10/7/2013 11:54:08 am

Thanks Ang! Even if you could climb up with the kereru, they wouldn't hang around with strange people in their canopy for long! It would have been a great sight to see all the same :)

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Catherine Kirby

I work with NZ's native vascular epiphytes at the University of Waikato. I completed an MSc on epiphyte ecology and the shrub epiphyte Griselinia lucida and have recently published the Field Guide to NZ's Epiphytes, Vines & Mistletoes.

For me, the highlights of epiphyte research are the many unknowns, the amazing way that these plants survive in the canopy, and of course tree climbing!

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