Meurk: Regeneration on Campbell Island

INTRODUCTION A fence was erected across the St Col Ridge of Campbell Island (Fig. 1) early in 1970, and feral sheep (Ovis aries) (Wilson and Orwin, 1964) were exterminated north of the line (Bell and Taylor, 1970). The aims of the fencing project were – 1. to assess the effects of sheep grazing on the native biota; 2. to remove the immediate threat to plant species and communities; 3. to help determine appropriate management policies for the Campbell Island reserve; and 4. to permit continuing study of the feral sheep (Wilson, 1979; Taylor, 1980). The numbers of royal albatross (Diomedea e. epomophora) and remaining sheep have since been regularly monitored (Dilks and Wilson, 1979) and 21 permanent vegetation quadrats have been mapped at five-year intervals (Meurk, 1980). A further six quadrats were established in early 1981 to complete coverage of major vegetation types (Oliver and Sorenson, 1951; Meurk, 1977, 1980; Meurk and Given, in prep.). In summer, 1975/76, it was apparent that dramatic vegetation changes were in progress in the P o a litorosa meadows and swards north of the fence. However, the mapped quadrats covered too little of that area to adequately reflect the initial stages of recovery. To overcome this, transects were defined extending the length of the fence-line in the open tussock and meadow country west of the continuous scrub (Fig. 1). This paper records measured responses along the transects of 13 important plant species and one