Deforestation in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Deforestation
in New Zealand
has been a contentious environmental issue
in the past, but native forests, colloquially called "the bush
", now have legal protection.
was the last major landmass to be settled by humans, anthropological changes are easier to study than in countries with a longer human history. A picture of the vegetation cover has been built up through the use of archeological and fossil remains, especially pollen
grains from old forests. Some of the most ancient intact forests in the world are found in New Zealand, examples being on Stewart Island and Ulva Island
.
The Māori people began settling the country about 800 years ago and reduced the amount of forest cover with the use of fire. By 1840, when Europeans were a small part of the population, the forest cover had been reduced from 85% down to 56%.
After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, settlers begin a rapid expansion. Deforestation continued for many uses including clearing land for farming and gardens and wood for construction. An estimated 50000 acres (202.3 km²) land was also lost due to human caused forest fires within only a few days. The rapid levels of deforestation can be seen when looking at sawmill production. There were only six sawmills in 1843, twelve in 1847, fifteen in 1855 and ninety-three in 1868, a growth of more than fifteen times in twelve years. More access to different areas through the newly laid railroad system led to many sawmilling settlements becoming railroad stops. With the production of many more sawmills, job availability increased. These factors helped add to the exponential deforestation rate countrywide. With time, the mills also became more productive and more abundant, perpetuating deforestation.
In the 20th Century the timber had deforested approximately 14 million hectares, or half of the pre-European forest cover.
started direct action to protect forests. Notable direct action campaigns were at Pureora Forest
with Stephen King and the West Coast
with the Native Forest Action Council
and Native Forest Action
. All native forest logging on public land ended in 2000 when the Labour led government upheld its election promise to stop the logging.
a level of legal protection through the resource consent
process. The logging of native trees is governed by a permit system administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
(MAF) and must be shown to be sustainable.
MAF also formulates policy on national and international illegal logging
.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
has been a contentious environmental issue
Environmental issue
Environmental issues are negative aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement that started in the 1960s, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.-Types:...
in the past, but native forests, colloquially called "the bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
", now have legal protection.
Pre-human forest cover
Since New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was the last major landmass to be settled by humans, anthropological changes are easier to study than in countries with a longer human history. A picture of the vegetation cover has been built up through the use of archeological and fossil remains, especially pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
grains from old forests. Some of the most ancient intact forests in the world are found in New Zealand, examples being on Stewart Island and Ulva Island
Ulva Island, New Zealand
Ulva Island is a small island about long lying within Paterson Inlet, which is part of Stewart Island/Rakiura in New Zealand. It has an area of about , the majority of which is public land...
.
Māori settlement
Prior to the Maori arrival, New Zealand was almost entirely forested, besides high alpine regions and those areas affected by volcanism. Throughout the Maori’s exclusive inhabitance, the environment took an expensive toll. Approximately 50% of the original forest cover had been deforested before European contact.The Māori people began settling the country about 800 years ago and reduced the amount of forest cover with the use of fire. By 1840, when Europeans were a small part of the population, the forest cover had been reduced from 85% down to 56%.
European settlement
When the first Europeans arrived, in 1772, there was still thick, dense forest cover. The Early explorers such as Cook and Banks described the land as “immense woods, lofty trees and the finest timber” Mainly timber was used for repairs to sailing ships until the 19th Century. With the colony of New South Wales rapidly expanding, the need for timber from New Zealand began to rise. Timber exports, mainly kauri, became a major industry for New Zealand. There are records from the 1840s, stating that 50 to 100 ships could be tied to shore in Kaipara Harbor and be filled with lumber from giant floating booms that can hold 10,000 logs at a time. Besides trees as a form of lumber, many pioneers found the kauri trees valuable for the gum it produced to make varnish and linoleum mainly in the north island near Auckland. The colonist used unconventional methods to gather this gum from living trees. Stripping these trees and the ground around them resulted in the destruction of the land, rendering it unusable for agriculture (Wynn pg. 108). With out the trees to hold the soil and debris to the land, water flowed freely causing flooding to be inevitable, which occurred often. As most of New Zealand was covered with thick bush, the slash and burn technique was used often for land set aside for farming in these areas. This practice was not carried out very responsibly due to the complexity of controlling a fire and in turn resulted in enormous amounts of unintentional land catching fire This led to thousand of acres accidentally burned and destroyed.After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, settlers begin a rapid expansion. Deforestation continued for many uses including clearing land for farming and gardens and wood for construction. An estimated 50000 acres (202.3 km²) land was also lost due to human caused forest fires within only a few days. The rapid levels of deforestation can be seen when looking at sawmill production. There were only six sawmills in 1843, twelve in 1847, fifteen in 1855 and ninety-three in 1868, a growth of more than fifteen times in twelve years. More access to different areas through the newly laid railroad system led to many sawmilling settlements becoming railroad stops. With the production of many more sawmills, job availability increased. These factors helped add to the exponential deforestation rate countrywide. With time, the mills also became more productive and more abundant, perpetuating deforestation.
In the 20th Century the timber had deforested approximately 14 million hectares, or half of the pre-European forest cover.
Recent history
By the 1970s the environmental movementEnvironmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
started direct action to protect forests. Notable direct action campaigns were at Pureora Forest
Pureora Forest Park
Pureora Forest Park is a protected area in the North Island of New Zealand. Within its rich rain forest are an abundance of 1000 year old podocarp trees. It is “recognized as one of the finest rain forests in the world”...
with Stephen King and the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
with the Native Forest Action Council
Native Forest Action Council
Native Forest Action Council was an environmental organisation in New Zealand.It was formed in 1975 from what was the Beech Forest Action Committee to advocate for the protection of native forests and changed its name to the Maruia Society in 1988. The Maruia Society then became Ecologic...
and Native Forest Action
Native Forest Action
Native Forest Action was set up protect the publicly owned native forests of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand from logging....
. All native forest logging on public land ended in 2000 when the Labour led government upheld its election promise to stop the logging.
Forest protection
Many legal avenues now exist to protect native forests. The Resource Management Act, a major Act of Parliament that was passed in 1991, affords any natural environmentNatural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
a level of legal protection through the resource consent
Resource consent
A resource consent is the authorisation given to certain activities or uses of natural and physical resources required under the New Zealand Resource Management Act . Some activities may either be specifically authorised by the RMA or be permitted activities authorised by rules in plans...
process. The logging of native trees is governed by a permit system administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity...
(MAF) and must be shown to be sustainable.
MAF also formulates policy on national and international illegal logging
Illegal logging
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the...
.
See also
- Environment of New ZealandEnvironment of New ZealandThe environment of New Zealand is characterised by unique flora and fauna and a variety of landforms contained within a small island nation...
- Forestry in New ZealandForestry in New ZealandForestry in New Zealand has a history starting with European settlement in the 19th century and is now an industry worth four percent of GDP. Much of the original native forest cover was burnt off but it was also logged until 2000. Extensive forests have been planted, predominantly with fast...
- Holocene extinction eventHolocene extinction eventThe Holocene extinction refers to the extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch . The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these extinctions are occurring in the...
- Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New ZealandRoyal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New ZealandThe Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....
External links
- Forest and Bird - the largest nationwide conservation organisation in New Zealand
- Sustainable Management of Private Indigenous Forests at the Ministry of Agriculture and ForestryMinistry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity...