Forestry in New Zealand.

The natural forests of New Zealand are characterized by temperate, oceanic climate, and mostly endemic tree species. Since ca. 1000 years, the Maoris began to convert forests to grassland. During the last hundred years, many forested areas with a high proportion of conifers were destroyed by clearfelling operations. The effect of introduced exotic species was destructive. Today, most of the remaining natural forests are protected from logging. Forestry concentrates on plantations of radiata pine. It has increasing economic importance for New Zealand.