A preliminary report on a recent botanical survey of the Chatham Islands

A preliminary report is given of a survey, made in 1968, of various islands in the Chatham Group (240,000 acres, 440 S., 1760 30' W.). Regeneration of vegetation on South-East Island (540 acres) has been considerable since sheep were finally removed in 1961. Mangere Island (279 acres) was declared a reserve and all sheep destroyed in 1968. Recovery of its vegetation will provide increased habitat for the small populations of Forbes' parakeet and the Chatham Island robin, now found only on Little Mangere Island (10 acres). Urgent action is still necessary to conserve bird and plant communities found only on the two main islands, Chatham (224,000 acres) and Pitt (15,630 acres).