Succession and dynamics of Ulex europaeus communities in the Dunedin district

[Abstract of a paper read at the Ecological Society Conference, 1983.]

First paragraph:
A quantitative study of 125 2 m x 2 m plots in communities dominated by or containing Ulex europaeus on sites 2–500 m a.s.l. has shown that in the Dunedin District dense standards of U. europaeus are often remarkably persistent, and capable of resisting invasion and replacement by indigenous tree species for at least 30 years. Seedlings of indigenous species become established in greater numbers where gorse is taller and less dense, with patches of bryophyte or bare soil available beneath. These sites are generally on steeper slopes.