Environmental Reporting Data - Page 3

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth. It occurs naturally in the environment but is added in agricultural processes (typically as fertiliser) to boost production. Although much of the applied nitrogen is taken up by plants, livestock waste returns a considerable amount to the soil. Nitrate formed from this waste easily drains (leaches) from the soil before plants can absorb it, and it can enter waterways, potentially harming ecosystems.

This dataset relates to the "Trends in nitrogen leaching from agricultural activities" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

The 15 class Benthic-Optimised Marine Environment Classification (BOMEC). The BOMEC divides the benthic environment into ecosystem types. These are grouped into three inshore groups, three continental shelf groups, and nine deeper-water groups. Each group represents areas with similar environmental variables, such as depth, temperature, salinity, and suspended sediment. The classification system considers the distributions of eight benthic taxonomic groups: asteroids, bryozoans, benthic foraminiferans, octocorals, polychaetes, matrix-forming scleratinian corals, sponges, and benthic fish.

The location and extent of Marine reserves (type 1 marine protected areas) in the territorial sea.

"This data records estimated erosion risk for different areas in the North Island.

New Zealand experiences high rates of soil erosion. In the North Island, this is mostly due to the historical clearance of forest for agriculture (see also Estimated long-term soil erosion). In contrast, erosion in the South Island is mostly due to natural processes, primarily high rainfall and steep mountain slopes.
Highly erodible land comprises land at risk of landsliding, gullying, or earthflow erosion if it does not have protective woody vegetation (Dymond et al, 2006). Landsliding occurs on steep slopes where the soils do not have the support of tree roots.
Gullying and earthflow erosion can occur on all slopes, irrespective of steepness, but the land is only considered at risk if it does not have woody vegetation.
Landslide erosion is the shallow (approximately 1m) and sudden failure of soil slopes during storm rainfall. Gully erosion is massive soil erosion that begins at gully heads and expands up hillsides, over decadal time scales. Earthflow erosion is the slow downward movement (approximately 1m/year) of wet soil slopes towards waterways.

This data set relates to the "Estimated highly erodible land in the North Island" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website."

"Wetlands support unique biodiversity and provide important services. They clean water of nutrients and sediment, help dampen floods, provide habitat, and act as carbon sinks. They are also valued for their spiritual and cultural significance and as important sources of food and materials, such as flax. Draining them for agricultural and urban development has reduced their extent. Understanding this reduction provides insight into the loss of biodiversity and natural function.
This dataset relates to the ""Wetland extent"" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website. "

"New Zealand’s land area has been divided into 500 land environments, each defined by their unique climate, topography, and soils. The extent to which indigenous vegetation is represented in these different land environments, and how that vegetation is formally protected, is described by ‘threatened environment’ categories. These categories can be monitored to help us understand the effects of land cover change on indigenous biodiversity.

This data set relates to the "Indigenous cover and protection in land environments" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website."

The Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) describes the long-term oscillation of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific climate oscillation causes climate fluctuations that can influence New Zealand’s climate. For example, it can affect the strength and frequency of El Niño and La Niña events. In New Zealand, the positive phase of the IPO is linked to stronger west to southwest winds and more rain to the west. Such climate phases can impact on our environment, industries, and recreational activities.
The IPO is similar, and nearly equivalent, to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The PDO is a predictor of the impact of the climate oscillation in the northern Pacific.
This dataset relates to the "Inter-decadal Pacific oscillation" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Lightning is the discharge of electricity from thunderstorms. Ground strikes can cause significant damage to property and infrastructure, and injure or kill people and livestock. Lightning is often associated with other severe weather events, such as strong wind gusts. Thunderstorms may increase in frequency and intensity with climate change.
This dataset relates to the "Lightning" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Particulate matter 10 micrometres or less in diameter (PM10) in the air comprises solid particles and liquid droplets from both natural and human-made sources. PM10 can be emitted from the combustion of fuels, such as wood and coal (eg from home heating and industry), and petrol and diesel (from vehicles). Natural sources of PM10 include sea salt, dust, pollen, smoke (from bush fires), and volcanic ash. Nationally, burning wood or coal for home heating is the main human-made source of PM10.

PM10 is of particular concern because it is found in high concentrations in some areas and can damage health. It is associated with effects ranging from respiratory irritation to some forms of cancer.

Column headings:
- Con_mcg_m3 = Concentration in micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3)

This dataset relates to the "PM10 annual average concentrations" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Sunshine is essential for our mental and physical well-being and plant growth. It is also important for tourism and recreation.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.