Human induced threats to New Zealand’s native flora have been profound and widespread and in many cases have been far more destructive that those caused by the deliberate introduction to New Zealand of weeds and animals pests.
Virtually no natural ecosystem in New Zealand has escaped some form of modification. Human mediated impacts range from direct and large scale effects, like burning and clearance for farmland, to the localised and indirect effects of swamp drainage or the planting of ‘stabilising’ exotic plants on dune systems.
For more information about other human induced impacts on New Zealand’s native plant life:
- Habitat loss
- Climate change
- Plant collection
- Spread of diseases