New Zealand's Environment Reporting Series: The Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand
Description
This data measures the numbers of farmed livestock (dairy and beef cattle, deer, and sheep) over time across New Zealand.
Livestock farming is a widespread land use in New Zealand and is a large contributor to our economy. High livestock numbers and the distribution of livestock across land environments can affect indigenous biodiversity and soil health (eg through erosion, habitat loss, compaction, and nutrient concentration). Water quality can also be adversely affected, as nutrients, sediment, and bacteria from urine and faeces can leach or run off the land into rivers, lakes, and groundwaters. This can affect the health of the aquatic ecosystem, as well as recreation and cultural values associated with rivers and lakes.
Source
Agricultural production censuses and surveys; Stats NZ
