People introduced species to New Zealand for many different reasons. Here are 5 reasons that New Zealand is now home to so many introduced species.
The islands of New Zealand have been separated from other land for about 65 million years! Over that long time of isolation the species evolved in unique ways, such as flightless birds and insects. New Zealand was the last major land mass to be colonized by people, which happened only about 750 years ago! The country has changed dramatically in the short amount of time people have been here. One of the causes of the changes are all the plants and animals people introduced.
5 Reasons People Introduced Species To New Zealand
For Food
The first settlers that arrived around 750 years ago brought with them many food products that they needed in order to survive. Since then later arrivals brought other food crops that they’ve cultivated and grown for their own subsistence.
Commercial
Think about all the sheep and cows that now vastly outnumber the people on these islands. People brought them here both for their own consumption and so that they could make a livelihood by selling dairy and wool products.
Those are not the only species people brought here for commercial reasons. There are now plantation forests that make up 6% of the land cover of the country, which are mainly comprised of introduced radiata pine trees. These trees are grown and harvested for their wood products.
Accidentally
Many species were brought by people by accident. For example, rats made their way to the islands in the early ships that Tasman and Capt. Cook first came to New Zealand in. Since that time many species have accidentally made their way here in boats, planes, or inside other shipments.
Sentimentality
The early European settlers brought many species to New Zealand simply because they missed them and wanted a sense of home. Acclimatisation societies were common in the mid to late 1800’s. These societies brought trout, pheasant, deer, and many more species to New Zealand. Some of their efforts were successful and others not so much.
To Eliminate Pests
The major predators of New Zealand’s native birds are the introduced mammalian predators (rats, stoats, and possums). Rats came by accident and possums were brought for commercial purposes. Stoats on the other hand were introduced on purpose as a means to get rid of the rabbits that people had also introduced.
This story of people introducing one species in an effort to get rid of another introduced species does not have a good ending in NZ. There are still rabbits, and now stoats are a major problem across the country.