Soils and Landscapes
Introduction
Confluence of Mangaoporo and Waiapu Rivers, 19 km from the coast.
Soils, landscapes and natural resources (such as water) underpin natural and managed ecosystems. They provide ecosystem and productive services on which we rely for agriculture and forestry and act as a platform for communities, infrastructure, and the national identity on which our culture and tourist trade is based. Current land uses, intensification, the changing geographic pattern of our land uses, as well as climate change and variability, are putting increasing pressures on our soils, landscapes, and natural resources threatening their ability to sustain the critical functions on which we depend.
The Soil and Landscapes team comprises of more than 40 staff, at five sites across New Zealand. We lead research on understanding the complex inter-relationships that control the response of soils and landscapes to climatic and human-induced pressures, evaluating current risk, and offering sustainable land use and natural resource allocation options. Our value is in providing opportunities for the future.
Research themes
Primary contact: John Dymond
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Primary contact: Les Basher
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Primary contact: Andrew Fenemor
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Primary contact: Jackie Aislabie
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Primary contact: Allan Hewitt
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Ecosystem Services at Landcare Research
Erosion and sediment processes
Hydrology and soil physics
Soil biological and chemical interactions
Strategic land-use & pedologyResearch collaborations
Sustainable Land Use Research Initiative (SLURI) - a national centre for maintaining and managing our soils. SLURI carries out research on the sustainable management of land, and works to develop new tools for regulators and land managers.
www.sluri.org.nz/
Tools & Services
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Land Use Capability survey handbook (LUC)
This handbook introduces the reader to the methods and standards of the Land Use Capability (LUC) system. This system has been used in New Zealand to help achieve sustainable land development and management on individual farms, in whole catchments, and at the district, region, and the national level since 1952. -
Mineralogy laboratory (MinLab)
Offers a range of analytical services on soils, clays, sediments, rocks, and a number of other materials -
S–map project
A new digital soil spatial information system for New Zealand. -
SINDI: soil quality indicators
Sindi is a web–based DSS (decision support system) for people wanting to assess soil quality especially at a regional or national scale. Field measurements of seven key soil indicators are entered and assessed against expert–derived target ranges. Colour–coded bar charts are used for easy interpretation of the measurements. -
Soil classification maps, Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) and Land Use Capability
Manaaki Whenua Press can supply soil classification maps of New Zealand and the South Pacific, and New Zealand Land Resource Inventory worksheets. -
Soil fundamental data layers (FDLs)
Fundamental data layers (FDLs) contain spatial information for 16 key attributes of the soils of New Zealand. -
Soils portal
The Soils Portal should be your first port of call for any information about New Zealand Soils – their names, distributions, properties and background information. -
Visual Soil Assessment
The visual soil assessment method (VSA) provides land managers with a simple tool to assess and monitor soil quality. -
Vulnerability maps
Maps showing areas at risk of declining soil quality.
Science leader
 | Craig Ross Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: +64 6 353 4800 |