Fire and Wilding Conifers in New Zealand
Fire and Wilding Conifers in New Zealand
House on Pukaki Downs that avoided fire due to large, low-cut green lawn
Wilding conifers infest over 1.8 million hectares of New Zealand. The spread of these self-sown trees has a dire effect on natural ecosystems and creates severe implications for fire control.
Historically, New Zealand has had low wildfire frequencies. However, due to climate change, wildfires are becoming more rampant; and last year’s fires on the shores of Lake Ohau and Lake Pukaki were a sobering reminder of the devastation fire can cause.
Clean burn of wilding tree slash along the western shoreline of Lake Pukaki following the mechanical control of wilding trees in 2011