This low forest, woodland and shrubland occurs below the treeline in the drought- and frost-prone inland basins and wide river valleys of Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago. It is now very uncommon.

Low stature conifers such as bog-pine and mountain toatoa dominated on many sites, including older, poorer, and/or poorly drained soils on valley and basin floors. Shrubs such as Dracophyllum and mānuka were also common. 

Kānuka was probably dominant on dry outwash gravels, while more fertile soils supported small-leaved Olearia, Hoheria, Plagianthus and Sophora, with understoreys of Carmichaelia, small-leaved Coprosma, Discaria, Melicope, Myrsine, and numerous lianes. 

Grassland was largely confined to recent floodplains, but there were abrupt transitions to local herbaceous cover on saline and calcareous substrates. 

The expected natural range* of scrub, shrubland and tussock-grassland below treeline in Aotearoa is 1,260,236 hectares.

*area this ecosystem could occupy without the presence of people.