Coniferous

Open conifer forests are composed mainly of various species of Araucaria, usually in almost pure stands rarely exceeding 15 m in height. A dozen species of Araucaria are known in New Caledonia, each with its own very distinct ecological requirements. Thus, A. rulei is found only in very open formations, combined with shrubland, at medium altitudes (400-900 m). A. montana and A. laubenfelsii are found between 500 and 1 100 m, respectively in the northern and southern parts of Grande Terre. A. humboldtensis is a montane species, while A. biramulata grows on very steep, eroded slopes.

Column pine (Araucaria columnaris) is one of the best-known and distinctive of New Caledonia's forest species, and its stands can have three different forms, depending on substrata. On ultrabasic rock, in the south of Grande Terre and on some of the other islands, it occurs as a formation combining seaboard plants and low-altitude closed-forest species, dominated by column pine and Araucaria nemorosa, both of which can grow to heights of 60 m. On Lifou and Île des Pins (coral terraces), it occurs in almost pure stands, and on limestone as a mixed formation with features resembling those of formations on ultrabasic rock.

last updated: Wednesday, October 6, 2004