ABSTRACT
The early inhabitants of Christchurch, New Zealand, would hardly recognise Christchurch City today. The large forests of matai and totara trees that once grew along the coast are gone, and the partially forested Canterbury Plains are largely treeless. In the past 150 years, the Christchurch area has evolved into a bustling urban environment of some 360,000 people covering an area of 143,000 ha.
