Trees get collaredpossums lose out

Ruapehu Bulletin, 8 September 1992, Page 15

Trees get collaredpossums lose out

Native mistletoes are a delicacy to possums. The possums' love of this rare and special plant has put it on the serious threat list throughout New Zealand. In an attempt to stop the destruction and eventual demise of mistletoe, staff from the Tongariro Taupo Department of Conservation have put aluminium collars on several trees scattered through the Omori Scenic Reserve. The collars are designed to prevent possums Teaching the mistletoe plants. "It is important to stop possum browsing so that mistletoes can flower and set seed," said DoC's botanist Cathy Jones.

"This gives seedlings a chance to establish themselves. In many instances when the host tree dies there are no replacement mistletoes in neighbouring trees." Selected kohuhu trees, which in this area act as host for one of the parasitic native mistletoes, Tupeia antarctica (a green flowered species) have been collared, but their shape or the situation of neighbouring trees often makes it impossible to isolate them as possums can travel via branches from one tree to the next. In some cases neighbour-

ing trees are also collared. At the Omori Stream picnic site DoC has established a grove of seedling kohuhu to ensure that a future generation of trees will be available to act as hosts to the mistletoe. Elsewhere collared beech trees can be seen along the Ohakune Mountain Road, Waitonga Falls track, in the Lake Rotokura Ecological area and on the Kiko Road Loop track. During the next 12 months host trees of the red mistletoe will also be collared along Clements Road and at Whakapapa.