The East Cape region includes three diverse ecological districts. Pukeamaru, centred on the rugged Pukeamaru Range, has podocarp–hardwood–beech forests, coastal pōhutukawa and puriri alongside kiwi, kokako and Hochstetter’s frog. Waiapu, with its coastal lowlands and hill country, once held extensive podocarp and coastal forests, and still supports weka, petrel colonies, and rare reptiles, though much of the land is now farmed or in exotic forestry. Turanga, the fertile Gisborne plains and low hills, was once cloaked in kahikatea and wetlands but is now almost entirely modified for vineyards, horticulture and pasture, with only scattered native remnants remaining.