The vegetation of Grande-Terre - the main island of New Caledonia - has been subject to a significant human pressure, whether to make room for cultivated or livestock areas or for the exploitation of wood or other natural resources. Over the decades, the lumberjack's saw, the miner's pickaxe and the breeder's fire have destroyed plant formations which are impossible to recreate. Others have retreated, such as the sclerophyllous forest of the west of the island, which has taken refuge in the most humid spots or in areas little affected by fire.