A Contribution to the Ecology of the Kermadec Islands 
V. J. Chapman 1 
In 1956 and 1957, owing to the kindness of the 
Civil Aviation Department, to whom especial 
thanks are due, it was possible for two visits to 
be made to the Kermadec Islands. These visits 
were made under the aegis of the Botany De- 
partment, Auckland University, though on the 
first occasion the personnel included members 
from elsewhere. The first visit took place in 
May and June, 1956, and the members of the 
party were Dr. R. C. Cooper (botanist, Auck- 
land Institute and Museum), P. L. Bergquist 
(Botany Dept.), and J. S. Edwards (Zoology 
Dept.). This party was originally expected to 
stay only a fortnight but, owing to circum- 
stances beyond our control, they were there for 
a month. Transport facilities to the Kermadecs 
were generously provided by the Royal New 
Zealand Navy and return transport by the N. Z. 
Institute of Oceanography, to whom thanks are 
due. The second visit took place in October, 
1957, when only one scientist could be accom- 
modated on the normal supply vessel. The late 
D. Knowlton went on this occasion, and in the 
course of the three days available he was able 
to achieve much valuable work. 
The original purpose of these visits was to set 
up permanent quadrats so that the regeneration 
of vegetation after the reduction of the goat 
population could be followed over a course of 
years. It Is therefore hoped that further visits 
may be made in the future. The first visit in 
1956 coincided with the end of a drive to elimi- 
nate the goats from the island, when some 1,500 
goats were shot. About a hundred more were 
shot in 1956-57. As a result of these activities 
the goat population was reduced to the point 
where it could reasonably be hoped that it might 
be kept in check. Another purpose of the visits 
was to study more intensively the algal flora of 
the Kermadecs. It is true that earlier collections 
and lists had been made by the Gepps (1911) 
1 The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Manu- 
script received November 7, I960. 
and by Cotton (1912), but In view of the impor- 
tance of the Kermadecs in relation to sea tem- 
peratures and tropical influences, it was believed 
that a more intensive study would reveal the 
existence of more species of tropical affinities. 
This has indeed proved to be the case. Later, in 
another communication, it is intended to com- 
pare the flora of these islands with those from 
the North Cape region of New Zealand and 
Norfolk Island. 
So far as the terrestrial flora is concerned, ex- 
tensive lists were already in existence as a re- 
sult of visits by Cheeseman in 1887 and by 
Oliver in 1909 to the islands. These earlier 
workers had collected methodically and exten- 
sively and there were no outstanding additions 
to be made to the earlier lists. One feature of 
interest was the way in which the taro, Alocasia 
macrorrhiza, had spread over the island since its 
introduction some time after 1909. 
ALGAE 
In the list that follows, algae recorded also 
by the Gepps (1911) are noted by G and those 
also recorded by Cotton by C. Algae newly added 
to the New Zealand flora are marked by +• 
Those not collected in 1956 or 1957 are marked 
by *. 
MYXOPHYCEAE 2 
Chlorococcales 
Anacystis thermalis (Menengh.) Dr. & 
Daily. Supralittoral fringe pool, Lava Pt. 
Anacystis montana ( Lightf . ) Dr. & Daily. 
On rotten log, Green Lake; supralittoral 
fringe pool, Lava Pt. 
Pleurocapsales 
EntO'pAysalis ponferta (Kiitz.) Dr. & Daily. 
Fleetwood Bluff, supralittoral fringe: on 
Derbesia 4-8 m. down, Meyer Is. 
2 1 am grateful to Dr. F. Drouet for determinations 
of this group. 
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