It is believed that the natives completely stripped the island of trees, using them to build boats, houses, and transport moai. Perhaps the trees disappeared because of an infestation of Polynesian rats that fed on tree seeds, preventing them from spreading.
Coconut-like palms probably grew there. They belonged to the endemic species Paschalococos disperta, which eventually died out around 1650. The trees currently growing on the island (mainly eucalyptus and acacia) are about 50 years old and were brought from Chile.
