Lake Tauanui (also Lake Kereru, Lake Tautoro,
) is a
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
in the
Northland Region
Northland (), officially the Northland Region, is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 regions of New Zealand, local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout t ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.
The lake is presently surrounded by native forest.
Geography
The lake is between the peak of Tautoro to its east which raises to and the volcanic scoria cone of
Tauanui
Tauanui is a high basaltic scoria cone in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand. It is the youngest volcano of the southern part of the field, having erupted around 60,000 years ago, and also the southernmost of the group. Sou ...
to its northwest. It contains an island known locally as Motuharangi (or Motuwharangi),
which in 1914 was about in area with in the of the lake.
History
Analysis of lake sediments suggested it formed about 5500 years ago. The area was likely affected by local volcanic events and pollen studies showed surrounding
rimu
''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae. It is a dioecious evergreen conifer, reaching heights of up to , and can have a stout trunk (botany), trunk up to in diameter. It is endemis ...
dominant mixed conifer-hardwood forest also containing
kauri
''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...
. About 4000 years ago the climate became cooler and drier with fire in the lake's catchment and from then to about a thousand years ago there was more fluctuation in the forest species present than before. There was significant decline in all tree and shrub elements after this with an increase in
bracken
Bracken (''Pteridium'') is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family (biology), family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that undergo alternation of generations, having both large plants that produce spores and small ...
pollen, particularly that of
bracken fern
Bracken (''Pteridium'') is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that undergo alternation of generations, having both large plants that produce spores and small plants that produ ...
. Fires were more common and after the arrival of Europeans, herb pollen increased markedly.
Culture
Motuharangi island is
tapu.
[
]
See also
*List of lakes in New Zealand
This is a list of lakes in New Zealand.
A lake's location is identified by the Regions of New Zealand, region and either the Territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority or National parks of New Zealand, national park ( ...
References
{{reflist
Tauanui
Tauanui is a high basaltic scoria cone in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand. It is the youngest volcano of the southern part of the field, having erupted around 60,000 years ago, and also the southernmost of the group. Sou ...
Far North District