Plants and Animals

The major forms of vegetation in New Zealand are grasslands and forests. About one-fourth of the land area is in forests. Pines and broad-leaved evergreens predominate on the North Island and on the west coast of the South Island. In the mountainous eastern parts of the South Island, beech and mixed hardwood forests predominate. Only a small part of the forests is planted with non-native trees, but these account for more than half of the nation's forest products.

Several animals native to New Zealand are not found elsewhere. These are the flightless birds, such as the kiwi and notornis, and the tuatara lizard. There are many kinds of seabirds such as gulls, penguins, and gannets; a native bat; and many fresh-and saltwater fish. Early Maori immigrants introduced the dog and the rat. Animals introduced by Europeans include deer, rabbits, wild goats, pigs, opossums, several kinds of birds, and game fish. Rabbits, opossums, and deer are pests to agriculture and forestry.