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Mid Environment Sites
, which is the altitude to which native trees are capable of growing. The majority of the mid environment has been cleared of its forest cover, and has been replaced by tussock grasslands, important for extensive sheep grazing. The natural treeline will therefore not be immediately obvious, as forest may well not be present there today. Grasslands growing below the treeline have largely been induced, occupying old forest soils.
The management of natural grasslands is likely to vary from those which have been induced below the natural treeline. It is therefore important to know at what altitude the grassland is at, and hence whether it is above or below the treeline.
The altitude at which the natural treeline occurs depends on the temperature. At a South Island wide scale, this is reflected in an area's latitude, and distance from the sea.
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