| Tāne Mahuta | |
|---|---|
 Tāne Mahuta, the biggest kauri tree alive, in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand | |
.png)  Tāne Mahuta | |
| Species | Kauri (Agathis australis) |
| Coordinates | 35°36′04″S173°31′38″E / 35.60111°S 173.52722°E /-35.60111; 173.52722 |
| Height | 45.2 m (148 ft) |
| Girth | 15.44 m (50.7 ft) |
| Volume of trunk | 255.5 m3 (9,020 cu ft) |
| Date seeded | 500 BC – 750 AD |
Tāne Mahuta, also called "God of the Forest", is a giantkauri tree (Agathis australis) in theWaipoua Forest ofNorthland Region,New Zealand. Its age is unknown but is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years. It is the largest living kauri tree known to stand today.[1] It is named afterTāne, theMāori god of forests and of birds.[2]
The tree is a remnant of the ancient subtropicalrainforest that once grew on theNorthland Peninsula. Other giant kauri are found nearby, notablyTe Matua Ngahere. Tāne Mahuta is the most famous tree in New Zealand, along with Te Matua Ngahere. It was discovered and identified in early January 1924[3] when contractors surveyed the presentState Highway 12 route through the forest. In 1928, Nicholas Yakas and other bushmen, who were building the road, also identified the tree.
In April 2009, Tāne Mahuta was formally partnered with the treeJōmon Sugi onYakushima Island, Japan.[4]During the New Zealand drought of 2013, 10,000 litres of water from a nearby stream was diverted to Tāne Mahuta, which was showing signs of dehydration.[5]
In 2018, the tree was considered threatened bykauri dieback, a generally fatal disease caused by a fungus which has already infected many nearby kauri trees.[6][7]New Zealand'sDepartment of Conservation initiated a plan to protect and save the tree from kauri dieback.[8]
| Tree girth | 15.44 m (50.7 ft) |
| Trunk height | 17.68 m (58.0 ft) |
| Tree height | 45.2 m (148 ft) |
| Trunk volume | 255 m3 (9,000 cu ft) |
| Total tree volume | 516.7 m3 (18,250 cu ft)[1][9] |
The measurements above were taken in 2002 by Dr. Robert Van Pelt, a forest ecology researcher and affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington. Former measurements taken in 1971 by the New Zealand Forestry Service may be found on The New Zealand Tree Register.[10]
In 2012,Lady Davina Lewis, daughter ofPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester andBirgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, and her husband, the New Zealander Gary Lewis, named their son Tane Mahuta, after the tree.[11]
