In order to make furniture, they planted bamboo widely. In addition, they planted huge tracts of tea and daqing (used to make dyes) for export, leading to further deforestation. Settlers also transplanted acacia trees from Hengchun in southernmost Taiwan to cultivate for firewood. Thus the area's original low altitude vegetation was almost completely replaced, and the area of primeval forest rapidly declined.
移民砍下樹木做為建材築起聚落，並放火燒山實行火耕；為了製作各種傢具，竹子被遍植在山坡上聚生成林；而為了外銷，山坡地上更大量栽種茶樹、以及做染料用的大青，森林再度被大量砍伐，移民們還從恆春引進相思樹作為薪材，低海拔的植被幾乎全部翻新，原始林面積急速縮小。