Kopi, more commonly known as karaka trees, have played a distinguished role in the history of Moriori people, carving dendroglyphs into the soft bark. Karaka is endemic to New Zealand, however the original distribution is a little unclear because of widespread planting by Maori and usually as the result of seed dispersal by birds or Maori plantations near old villages. It is present on the Chatham Islands, probably the result of Polynesian plantings.

Ancient Moriori used to travel to Rangatira to capture muttonbirds. European farmers then ran sheep, goats and cattle on Rangatira until the 1960s when the last of these were removed. Rangatira is now a gazetted nature reserve and has been described as one of the world's premier bird islands. It now accommodates the biggest population of the critically-endangered black robin, and another outstanding feature, the millions of storm petrels, sooty shearwaters and broad-billed prions that roost and breed in the forests.