Choosing Your Species

The species you plant determines your carbon earnings, your options, and your obligations for decades to come. This is one of the most important decisions in carbon farming.

The Big Picture

Carbon is carbon — the ETS doesn’t pay more for one species than another. But different species:

• Grow at different rates
• Earn credits at different speeds
• Have different management requirements
• Suit different sites and climates
• Come with different long-term options

Exotic Species

Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata)

The dominant choice. Around 90% of New Zealand’s plantation forestry is radiata pine. There’s a reason.

Advantages:

• Fast growth — peak sequestration years 8-20
• Well-understood carbon curves
• Established look-up tables by region
• Commercial timber value
• Easy to establish
• Tolerates a range of sites

Considerations:

• Fire risk (especially in northern regions)
• Disease pressure (dothistroma needle blight)
• Not permanent — typically harvested at 25-30 years
• Community resistance in some areas
• LUC class restrictions on productive land

Carbon earning: ~25-30 tonnes CO₂/ha/year in peak growth. Under averaging, earns to ~age 16.

Douglas Fir

A premium alternative for cooler, higher-rainfall sites.

Advantages:

• High-quality timber
• Excellent carbon sequestration
• Good for South Island and elevated sites
• Better suited to some sites than radiata
• Premium timber value

Considerations:

• Slower early growth than radiata
• More site-specific in requirements
• Less established local market
• Higher establishment cost

Carbon earning: Good sequestration, particularly on suitable sites. Different lookup table from radiata.

Eucalyptus Species

For warm, sheltered sites — particularly Northland and coastal areas.

Advantages:

• Very fast growth on the right sites
• Some species have good timber value
• Carbon earnings can be rapid early on
• Different aesthetic than pines

Considerations:

• Site-specific — need warmth and shelter
• Fire risk
• Some species prone to damage
• Less established in NZ
• Variable timber markets

Other Exotics

Redwoods, cypresses, and other species are used in smaller quantities. They can be registered but may use generic “other exotic” lookup tables, which are often conservative.

Native Species

Why Choose Natives?

Advantages:

• No LUC class restrictions
• Permanent forest category suits them
• Biodiversity and ecosystem benefits
• No harvest liability to manage
• Cultural and environmental value
• Lower fire risk than pines
• No replanting requirement

Considerations:

• Slower growth = slower earnings
• Higher establishment costs (usually)
• All natives grouped in one lookup table
• Less carbon per hectare than exotics (initially)
• Long timeframe to significant returns

Common Native Approaches

Planted natives:

• Establish forest with nursery-raised plants
• Higher upfront cost
• Faster establishment than natural regeneration
• Can choose species mix

Natural regeneration:

• Allow native bush to recover naturally
• Low/no establishment cost
• Slower but cost-effective
• Common on retired farmland
• Gorse/broom can act as nurse crop

Transitional forests:

• Shrubland evolving to forest
• Kanuka/manuka to broadleaf transition
• Register and earn as it develops

Native Carbon Rates

Native forests sequester around 6-7 tonnes CO₂/ha/year on average — roughly one-quarter of radiata pine’s peak rate. But they keep earning for 50+ years and store carbon permanently.

Over long timeframes, well-managed native forest can accumulate substantial carbon stocks — the difference is timing, not ultimate potential.

Comparing Options

Site Matching

The right species depends on your site:

Warm, lower altitude, good rainfall: Radiata pine, eucalyptus, or natives

Cool, elevated, higher rainfall: Douglas fir, some native species

Dry, exposed: Careful species selection, possibly natives adapted to the site

Steep, erosion-prone: Natives often preferred for permanent cover, or pines for soil stabilisation

Riparian (stream margins): Natives strongly preferred for water quality and biodiversity

Regional Considerations

Different regions have distinct conditions that affect species performance and risk profile.

Northland / Far North

Climate: Warm, humid, drought-prone summers

Key considerations:

• Fire risk is highest in New Zealand — summer droughts create extreme fire danger
• Eucalyptus can perform well but increases fire risk
• Native regeneration (especially kauri, taraire, puriri) suits the climate
• Subtropical pests and diseases more prevalent
• Kikuyu grass competition during establishment

Best suited: Natives for permanence; radiata with excellent fire management

Auckland / Waikato

Climate: Warm, moderate rainfall

Key considerations:

• Good growing conditions for most species
• Urban-rural interface creates fire ignition risk
• Strong community interest in natives near population centres
• Good infrastructure for forestry operations

Best suited: Radiata, natives, or mixed approaches

Bay of Plenty / Gisborne / Hawke’s Bay

Climate: Warm, variable rainfall, cyclone exposure

Key considerations:

• Cyclone damage risk (Gabrielle demonstrated this in 2023)
• Some of the best radiata growing country
• Erosion-prone hill country — permanent natives valuable
• Well-established forestry industry and infrastructure

Best suited: Radiata on stable sites; natives on erosion-prone land

Central North Island (Taupo / Rotorua)

Climate: Cooler, volcanic soils, good rainfall

Key considerations:

• Excellent radiata country — volcanic soils support rapid growth
• Lower fire risk than northern regions
• Established forestry industry
• Some geothermal/volcanic considerations in specific areas

Best suited: Radiata pine (prime growing region)

Wellington / Wairarapa / Manawatu

Climate: Windy, moderate temperatures, variable rainfall

Key considerations:

• Wind exposure affects species choice and harvest risk
• Windthrow more common than fire as a risk
• Douglas fir suits some cooler elevated sites
• Native regeneration common on retired hill country

Best suited: Radiata in sheltered areas; natives on exposed sites

Nelson / Marlborough

Climate: Sunny, dry summers, moderate winters

Key considerations:

• Fire risk in dry summers
• Excellent Douglas fir country
• Good radiata country in many areas
• Wilding pine issues from spread into conservation land

Best suited: Douglas fir on suitable sites; radiata with fire management

Canterbury / West Coast

Climate: Canterbury dry and easterly; West Coast very wet

Key considerations:

• Canterbury: Drought stress, irrigation sometimes needed, lower growth rates
• West Coast: Very high rainfall, some of the best Douglas fir country
• Canterbury plains face wind exposure
• Snow damage possible at higher elevations

Best suited: Douglas fir (especially West Coast); radiata in suitable Canterbury locations

Otago / Southland

Climate: Cool, variable — from dry Central Otago to wet Southland

Key considerations:

• Snow damage risk at higher elevations
• Slower growth rates than North Island
• Central Otago very dry — challenging for forestry
• Southland can be excellent for radiata and Douglas fir
• Lower fire risk generally

Best suited: Douglas fir; radiata in suitable Southland locations; natives for conservation

Regional Lookup Tables

Remember that radiata pine has region-specific lookup tables. The same age forest earns different carbon amounts depending on region — reflecting actual growth rate differences.

This affects your earnings calculation, so understanding your region’s table matters

Mixed Planting

You don’t have to choose just one species. Options include:

Mosaic planting: Different species in different areas based on site conditions. Register each area separately.

Transition zones: Exotics on main areas, natives on margins and waterways.

Nurse crop approach: Pines or wattles as nurse crop, transitioning to natives over time.

Integrated blocks: Mix of species within the same area for resilience and diversity.

The Financial Lens

If maximising short-term carbon income is your goal, radiata pine wins. Fast growth, well-understood curves, and peak earnings in years 8-20 make it the clear commercial choice.

But if you’re thinking longer-term:

• Natives in permanent forestry can earn for 50+ years
• No harvest liability to manage
• Additional revenue potential (e.g., honey, tourism)
• Land remains flexible if rules change

Many landowners plant exotics on productive carbon areas and natives on margins, waterways, and less accessible slopes.

Getting Advice

Species selection should consider:

• Your site (soil, climate, aspect, altitude)
• Your goals (income timing, permanence, biodiversity)
• Regulatory context (LUC class restrictions)
• Practical factors (access, pest pressure, fire risk)
• Your personal values

We can help you assess your land and develop a planting strategy that balances carbon returns with your other objectives.

Key Takeaways

1. Radiata pine dominates for a reason — it’s fast and well-understood
2. Natives have no LUC restrictions and suit permanent forestry
3. Match species to site — wrong species fail
4. Carbon rates vary — but carbon is carbon in the ETS
5. Consider the full picture — timber, biodiversity, fire risk, long-term options
6. You can mix — different species on different areas

Next Steps

• Native Forestry & Regeneration
• The Registration Process
• Discuss species options with us