Skip to main content

Story: Fire and agriculture

Grasslands in 1840 and 2002

  • 1840

    1840
  • 2002

    2002

European farming methods transformed the vegetation of New Zealand. Much of the North Island’s forest and fernlands have been replaced by non-native grasses and legumes. In the South Island, burning and grazing created the tussock grasslands that varied in type according to altitude, rainfall and soil. These were later transformed by cultivation, or modified by oversowing with non-native grasses and clovers.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Robert Peden, Fire and agriculture – South Island sheep runs: tussock and scrub, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/15209/grasslands-in-1840-and-2002 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Robert Peden, published 1 March 2009.