AbstractConventional pattern analysis and segregation analysis were used to investigate the hypothesis that young and mature individuals ofAraucaria hunsteiniiwere not usually found growing in close association whilst the distribution of young and mature individuals ofA. cunninghamiiwas essentially random. It was considered that this pattern reflected a difference in regeneration strategy between the two species, A. hunsteiniibeing a gap regenerator andA. cunninghamiia shade‐tolerant species. A seedling growth‐experiment using three different shade treatments and four temperature treatments tested this hypothesis further. Results show thatA. hunsteiniiis more dependent on high light intensity thanA. cunninghamiifor the production of biomass.A. cunninghamiiproduces more biomass thanA. hunsteiniiunder all treatment conditi