The fungal communities within six stems each of matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia (D. Don) Laubenf.) and rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum Lamb.) were studied nearly four years after windthrow in a dense podocarp forest in the central North Island. There was a significant decrease in yield of isolates of all fungi, as well as basidiomycetes in particular, with increasing radial depth beneath the cambium (P < 0.01). The decrease was greater for matai than for rimu (P < 0.01). Fewer isolates of either group were obtained from heartwood (0q5% of attempts) than from sapwood and rimu transition wood (13-43%; P < 0.01). Among the basidiomycetes, 85% of isolates belonged to eight species or generic groups, six of which varied significantly in occurrence between trees (P < 0.05). The condition of the root systems in uprooted trees of four species (matai; rimu; miro, Prumnopitys ferruginea (D. Don) Laubenf.; tawa, Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Benth. et Hook. f. ex Kirk) was evaluated in the same forest. On matai and rimu trees, a greater mean percentage of emergent roots was decayed at the centre of the exposed surface of the root-soil plate than around the margin (P < 0.05). Matai and rimu roots were significantly more decayed in this exposed central zone than were those of miro and tawa (P < 0.05). Rigidoporus catervatus (Berkeley) Comer was shown to be responsible for a white pocket rot in the heartwood and roots of living trees, and sapwood of fallen logs.

The needle-infecting fungus Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii (Rohde) Petrak spread to stands of Douglas fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] in most parts of New Zealand following its first detection in the central North Island in 1959. At Hanmer Forest in the South Island, the percentage of infected needles rose more rapidly in a provenance from northern inland California than in one from Kaingaroa Forest in the North Island. Increase in infection was accompanied bv a significant decrease in the proportion of needles retained on shoots of certain age classes, the reduction in the Californian seedlot being greater than in that from Kaingaroa. More older foliage was retained in the Kaingaroa provenance at Hanmer Forest, when infection averaged under 30 %, than at two other locations where mean infection exceeded 90%. It is suggested tnat heavily infected production stands of Douglas fir suffer some premature casting of older needles, even when crowns appear healthy.