Plate 1: Photo showing possum damaged forest canopy in the unmanaged Papakai block of the Coromandel Forest Park (from stuff.co.nz) Plate 2: Healthy forest canopy (including flowering rātā) in the Papakai block after 25 years of pest protection (from stuff.co.nz) As well as eating foliage, rats and possums also eat fruits and seeds. Fewer rats and possums result in improved survival and reproduction of many native plant species, but especially those which are particularly susceptible to possum browse and seed predation by rats (e.g. tūrepo (large leaved milk tree)). Less seed removal results in more live seedlings (see Figure 4) which will become the forest giants of the future. Seeds and fruit of species such as kōhia (New Zealand passionfruit) become much more visible on the forest floor and seed dispersal by native species such as kereru and tui also increases. Native species are more effective
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