Forest vegetation of the Inner Islands of the Hauraki Gulf

[First paragraph...]
The primitive vegetation of Auckland's larger inshore islands, with the exception of Rangitoto, has been either destroyed or greatly modified. Nevertheless, on some islands, particularly Waiheke (26,000 acres) and Ponui (4,400 acres), there are many remnants of both primary and secondary forest. When considered in relation to the present soil pattern and to early accounts, these indicate an original pohutukawa-taraire-kauri forest pattern in which kauri (Agathis australis) was associated with the strongly leached and in parts podzolised northern yellow-brown earths of the upper valley walls and ridges; taraire (Beilschmiedia tarairi) was associated with the moderately leached northern yellow-brown earths of the sheltered coastal and inland valleys; and pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) occurred on the weakly leached and skeletal northern yellow-brown earths of the coastal slopes and cliffs exposed to wind-carried salt spray (cf. Taylor, 1960).