Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Are pine trees killing kauri?

By Peter Jackson
Northland Age·
17 Apr, 2020 03:21 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Four Sisters walk in Waipoua Forest was closed last year after the discovery of kauri dieback. Picrture / File

The Four Sisters walk in Waipoua Forest was closed last year after the discovery of kauri dieback. Picrture / File

A new study suggests that kauri dieback disease may be connected to the lack of protective fungi in plantation pine forest soil.

Published in FEMS Microbiology Ecology, the study, by Bio-Protection Research Centre PhD candidate Alexa Byers and others, looked at the differences in the bacteria and fungi living in the soil of kauri forest and surrounding pine plantations in the Waipoua area. It found soil in the pine forest's neighbouring kauri forests lacked several species of fungi and bacteria that protect plants, promote growth, and improve their health (for example Trichoderma and Pseudomonas).

"The loss of core microbiota from native soil microbial communities… surrounding remnant kauri fragments could be altering the forest's ability to respond to pathogen invasion," Ms Byers wrote.

"Understanding the ecological impacts of these changes to the soil microbial communities surrounding remaining kauri fragments is important to protect the long-term health and functioning of these fragments."

She also found some non-native fungi were now present in kauri forest soil.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The differences in soil microbial diversity between forest systems could potentially result in the exposure of kauri fragments to introduced microbial communities which now have kauri within their range," she added.

The introduction of invasive species into native ecosystems through non-native trees was a recognised driver of disease in forests, Ms Byers wrote, a risk that was particularly high for Phytophthora species, with the plant nursery trade being identified as a vector for introduction and dispersal into new ecosystems globally.

Kauri dieback is caused by Phytophthora agathidicida.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dr Amanda Black, who is one of Ms Byers' supervisors, and a co-author of the study, said the results showed more research was needed into the relationship between fragmented kauri forests and the pine and pasture ecosystems surrounding them.

"We have just 7500 ha of original kauri forest left, and it exists as fragments, surrounded by 60,000ha of plantation forests and regenerating kauri forest," Dr Black said.

"We need to understand what part this plays in the spread of kauri dieback."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

'An honour': Far North cafe's triple victory at national awards

12 Jun 03:00 AM
Northland Age

Watch: Discover top talent at this year's Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

12 Jun 01:57 AM
Northland Age

Public input sought on Far North's long-term waste strategy

11 Jun 07:00 PM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northland Age

'An honour': Far North cafe's triple victory at national awards

'An honour': Far North cafe's triple victory at national awards

12 Jun 03:00 AM

Peekaboo Backyard Eatery won the Supreme Award at the Lion Hospitality Awards.

Watch: Discover top talent at this year's Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Watch: Discover top talent at this year's Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

12 Jun 01:57 AM
Public input sought on Far North's long-term waste strategy

Public input sought on Far North's long-term waste strategy

11 Jun 07:00 PM
News in brief: Donate blood this Blood Donor Week, Tui clean-up

News in brief: Donate blood this Blood Donor Week, Tui clean-up

11 Jun 06:00 PM
The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE
sponsored

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP