Dakua Makadre Agathis vitense

Agathis macrophylla The Pacific kauri is a gymnosperm, and can become a tall tree, growing up to 40 m in height, with a trunk up to 3 m in diameter. Also known as: Pacific Kauri Local Names: Dakua makadre, dakua, takua makadre, makadre, makadri, dakua dina.

 Description The Pacific kauri is a gymnosperm, and can become a tall

tree, growing up to 40 m in height, with a trunk up to 3 m in diameter. In Fiji mature trees have been observed at 33 m in height. The leaves are leathery and dark green in colour, shiny on the top surface and glacous on the bottom. The leaves are arranged in pairs opposite to each other on the stem, all in one plane. Like other gymnosperms, the Pacific kauri produces male and female reproductive structures in cones and not in flowers. The female cones are globe shaped, whilst male cones are more cylindrical measuring up to 5cm in length; and each brown, winged seed is attached to a triangular cone scale on the cone. The leaves have parallel veins, not branching veins like those of angiosperms.

Habitat Ecology and Behaviour Pacific kauri occurs in the humid and mesic lowland forest, lower montane forests and even in Fijian dry forest. These trees grow particularly well in well drained, basalt-derived clay loams and clay soils with a well developed humus layer as the upper surface. They are gap opportunists and seedlings are dependent on large gap openings in the canopy to establish themselves. The Pacific kauri propagates by seed which are most abundant between January to March in Fiji. Pacific kauri is disputed to be among the fastest growing species of the genus Agathis, however, this is dependent on several factors. One of these factors is the exposure of the tree canopy to sunlight.

Threats The main threat to the Pacific Kauri in Fiji is overexploitation because of its value as a high-quality timber. Conservation Status There was a commercial export venture of the Pacific kauri gum that was prohibited in 1941 because of the destructive impacts of extracting the gum from the trees. Thomson (2006) warns that an intensification of the commercial harvesting of this species in Fiji may led to a CITES listing for the Fiji populations of Pacific Kauris.

Agathis Vitiense Tree

Dakua tree can live up to 300 years or more

Leaves

Leaves are dark green and waxy. Simple vein are parallel

Bark

Bark is peeling off in rough patches in aged trees.

Female cone on the tree

Male and Female Cone

Dakua makadre Timber

Light brown clour timber with parallel grains running length wise.

Thank you.