Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan 2 Bryant Pahautea, Southern Rata, Mountain Beech, Rifleman, Tit, Inland Ultramafic Ecosystem Only the mountain summit crestline and eastern slopes of the Bryant Range plus a few isolated chunks of faulted blocks of nutrient-poor, mineral-rich, mantle rocks nearby make up this system. On the mid to upper slopes, an uneven hummocky character caused by mass earthflows is prominent with numerous rocky outcrops as the bones of the earth poke through. Elevation is high and the climate wet with no maritime influence but exposed conditions on the tops. The poor-nutrient soils with high concentrations of trace elements as allowed unique stunted vegetation to evolve; still mostly intact in its natural state. Table 3 Indigenous Vegetation and Landforms - Bryant Ecosystem Landform Components Geology Remnant Native Past and Potential Vegetation Native Vegetation 1. Steep to very steep upper Dun Mountain Forest and Treeland Forest and Treeland mountain slopes and summit Ultramafic, Lee Mountain beech-southern Mountain beech-southern ridges on ultrabasic rocks River Group rata-mountain toatoa forest rata-mountain toatoa forest 700 - 2325 m.a.s.l. gabbro and tr eeland. and tr eeland. Shrubland Shrubland Wharariki-mountain tauhinu- Wharariki-mountain mountain wineberry flax- tauhinu-mountain wineberry shrubla nd. flax-shr ubland. Tussockland Tussockland Mineral belt snow Mineral belt snow tussoc kland. tussoc kland. Sedgeland Sedgeland Mixed sedgeland (Schoenus, Mixed sedgeland (Schoenus, Carex , Carpha) on seepage s. Carex , Carpha) on seepage s. Rockland Rockland Herb-tussock-rockland Herb-tussock-rockland Hebe-coprosma shrub- Hebe-coprosma shrub- rockland. rockland. App Two - 20