Forest ecosystems.

Forest ecosystems are those areas of native vegetation that are dominated by tall, well-established trees and there are many distinctive types of forest ecosystems throughout the country. We have broadleaf forest systems in the north, a range of mixed broadleaf podocarp type forests and the far south features beech-dominant forests. Most of the forest ecosystems remaining outside the nation’s parks and reserves are fragmented as a result of human modification and they occur within a mosaic of urban / rural land use. In the north kauri dieback demonstrates the changing climate and the need for vigilant biosecurity measures.