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To determine the susceptibility of different forest types to lianes, and to investigate which ecological factors are limiting for lianes, a field survey covering 28 naturally forested sites in Golden Bay (Northwest Nelson) and on Banks Peninsula (Canterbury) was carried out. Results from Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis of liane species abundance data in relation to tree and shrub species abundance data and abiotic site variables, showed that the liane community composition was highly correlated with the composition of the tree and shrub community.

Berberis darwinii (Berberidaceae) is a serious environmental weed in New Zealand, capable of invading a range of different light environments from grazed pasture to intact forest. According to optimal partitioning models, some plants optimise growth under different environmental conditions by shifting biomass allocation among tissue types (e.g. roots, shoots) to maximise the capture of limiting resources (e.g. water, light).