How much of New Zealand has been deforested?

New Zealand Deforestation Rates & Statistics | GFW. In 2010, New Zealand had 9.65Mha of natural forest, extending over 43\% of its land area. In 2020, it lost 8.53kha of natural forest.

Was New Zealand covered in trees?

Before people reached New Zealand, more than 80\% of the land was covered in lush, dense native forest and shrublands. As more people arrived, they cleared large tracts of land for settlements and to grow food, using the native timber to build towns and fence farms.

Is deforestation a problem in New Zealand?

New Zealand Deforestation Rates & Statistics | GFW. In 2010, New Zealand had 9.65Mha of natural forest, extending over 43\% of its land area. In 2020, it lost 8.53kha of natural forest. From 2001 to 2020, New Zealand lost 1.29Mha of tree cover, equivalent to a 11\% decrease in tree cover since 2000.

How many forests burned Māori?

Sediment records show a huge increase in charcoal and bracken spores around the 13th and 14th centuries. At the same time, there was a massive decline in pollen from forest trees, marking a striking and devastating change: up to 40\% of the forest was burnt within 200 years of Māori settling in New Zealand.

How did Maoris cut trees?

On the other hand, ancient Maori history does teach us that trees were felled by means of being chipped out sideways—that is, with and not across the grain—and that the tree-fellers—there were always three or more—followed each other around and around the tree in the process of felling.

Did Māori burn forests?

Māori use of fire When Māori first settled in New Zealand, around 1250–1300 AD, most of the land was covered in forest. They burned large areas, to make hunting birds such as moa easier.

How many forests burned Maori?

How did Maoris start fire?

Māhoe wood was used by Māori for fire-making. By rubbing a pointed stick of kaikōmako rapidly in a grooved piece of soft māhoe wood, they could heat the māhoe to ignition point.