New Zealand Flora and Fauna

Flora

Approximately 75% of the flora is unique to New Zealand due to the regions being seperated from the rest of the world for a long period of time. A lot of the world's oldest plant forms such as flowering plants, conifers, ferns, lycopods and other plants show similarities with plants from the Malayan region, which supports current theory's of an ancient bridge land between the two regions.

When the Maori and European settlers arrived, they altered the landscape through their pursuit for game such as the moa, which is now extinct, which meant having to burn through the vegetation. With the Europeans, they made their mark by conversions of the land for pasteurization.

• More than 250 species of plants are both common to Australia and New Zealand
• Kauri pine is world famous for it's timber and can only be found in some parts of the North Island.
• Rimu and the totara are also timber trees, other handsome trees include the pohutukawa and other species of rata and kowhai.
• Tussock grass occurs on mountains above the scrub line and over some areas of the South Island.
• New Zealand flax which was of great importance to the Maori economy, is found in swampy places.
• There are 145 species of ferns which clothe most of the tree trunks and branches.

Fauna

Some of the most unique indigenous species include the kiwi, the world's oldest reptile (tuatara), the world's largest parrot (kakapo), the world's only mountain parrot (kea), the heaviest insect (weta) and New Zealand's native giant tree (kauri).

The most destructive mammals that have been introduced to the islands have been the rat, the possum and the rabbit. Some species have proven to be highly attractive such as world-famed trout and salmon fisheries and different types of game such as deer, tahr and chamois. Also delicacies such as crayfish and paua are very popular.

• There are just over 250 species of different types of birds which includes breeding and migratory species.
• The kiwi is a flightless bird and of course New Zealand's national symbol. The bird has it's nostrils at the tip of the bill instead of the base, which is the only known case in the world.
• All but one of the genre of penguins are represented in New Zealand.
• The Pacific godwit migrates from breeding grounds on the Arctic Circle to spend the spring and summer in New Zealand.
• There are many flightless insects and different types of life forms.