Soils Tables - Page 2

High-class land is the most productive land for growing food. It supports most crops across New Zealand. Expanding lifestyle blocks and urban areas reduces the availability of high-class land for commercial crop growing, and this land is unlikely to be returned to primary production. This affects our commercial food-production capacity.

Column headings:
area_kha = area of land measured in kilohectares (ie multiply by 1000 to get hectares)

This dataset relates to the "High-class land for food production" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Soil erosion reduces the productive capacity of land. Sediment entering waterways affects water quality, storage capacity, and biodiversity. Soil erosion in the North Island is primarily due to the historical clearance of forest on steep slopes for pastoral agriculture. South Island soil erosion is primarily due to high rainfall and steep mountainous terrain.

Column headings:
vol_tkm2yr = volume of soil lost per year measured in tonnes per square kilometer

This dataset relates to the "Estimated long-term soil erosion" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

Some areas of New Zealand’s North Island are classified as highly erodible land. They have steep slopes and are at high risk of mass soil movement due to the absence of woody vegetation cover with deep roots to hold the soil in place. This can lead to soil erosion. It is important to identify areas of land at risk of severe erosion to inform land use decisions and help prioritise soil conservation work.

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