Part 2/9:
New Zealand's rich biodiversity is largely dictated by its geological history. An island nation separated from the rest of the world by vast oceans, it has acted as an evolutionary laboratory over millions of years. The interactions of fire, ice, and tectonic forces have molded a complex landscape of snow-capped mountains, rugged coastlines, and ancient forests. This isolation has allowed for the development of species that exist nowhere else on the planet.