Since the Cretaceous era the effects of climatic change and intermittent vulcanism have dictated a shifting pattern for New Zealand's forests so that in any one place the mix of species comprising the forest has continually changed. The arrival of Man heralded a reduction in indigenous forest area from an estimated 18.8 million ha to the present 6.2 million ha, about 33 of the original forest estate. A discontinuous fringe of 3 types of indigenous forest now encircles the central volcanic plateau in the North Island. Podocarp forests, which were originally very extensive, are now almost entirely restricted to the eastern fall of the Hauhungaroa Range, West Taupo, and to the Whirinaki basin, adjacent to Urewera National Park. Podocarp/hardwood forests are more extensive in the same 2 localities as well as on the Mamaku Plateau. Extensive beech forests occupy much of the Kaimanawa Range, south of Lake Taupo. In the North Island only 56 000 ha of unlogged podocarp/hardwood forest, including dense podocarp forest, remains. This type of forest is now so limited in extent nationally and of such conservation importance that it should be logged no further.
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