Permanent native grasslands, often maintained by traditional herding and transhumance practices, have been found to be more effective at carbon storage than planted forests. Not to mention the added benefit of increased biodiversity in local flora and fauna.

Again, it’s like 99% clear that the Farmers Federation of New Zealand doesn’t mean this kind of grassland of course, but my point is still that planting pines for the sake of planting them is not better than not using the land at all, or to go over it with sheep and cattle.

Almost nothing can eat them, they smother growth on the forest floor, and they tend to burn in dry periods.

Disclaimer: this is independent knowledge not endorsed by @TraschcanOfIdeology@hexbear.net

New Zealand still has tree ferns and shit, crazy unique flora there. They are objectively the correct choice, because they look cool as fuck. They aren’t technically trees though.

Here’s a super fun stitch, depending on location the answer is “pine trees” but from a totally disperate clade of gymnosperm that is almost 100% not what they’re talking about in the tweet

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathis_australis

Araucariales is such a sickass clade.

I had a hard time finding ecosystem maps in a form I’m familiar with but this site was a good level for my familiarity with NZ, and I think in time I’d find a plant list on here https://environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotearoa-2019/theme-1-our-ecosystems-and-biodiversity/