The Impact of Agriculture on the Taranaki soils

The Taranaki region 414,000 ha (57%) used for high intensity pastoral farming 2300 dairy farms (17% of all dairy farms in New Zealand) 1150 sheep and beef farms 16 piggeries 41 poultry farms 290,000 ha in indigenous forest and shrubland 17,600 ha of exotic forest plantings The Taranaki region covers 723,610 ha (3% of New Zealand).

Taranaki Landuse Pastoral farming 57% Native forest30% Scrub9.5% Planted forest1.5%

Agricultural impacts on soil Taranaki has a wide range of soil types from fertile, well drained volcanic ring plain soils to relatively infertile and erodible sedimentary based soils of the inland hill country.

Key issues regarding Taranaki soils 92% of the region is sustainably managed with no significant soil erosion problem 97% of Taranaki soils have low risk of long term damage through soil compaction(via pugging by cattle in wet weather. There have been significant landuse changes over the past decade As stocking rates increase, extra pressures are placed on the soil.

Intensification of Dairy farming in Taranaki

Soil Erosion The potential for erosion in the inland hill country is naturally high and can be accelerated by land clearance/pasture establishment Many ‘at risk’ areas are being retired or planted in plantation forestry

Landuse changes in the Taranaki hill country

Managing Erosion prone hill country