A newly released environmental atlas has been touted as a valuable aid to farmers, foresters and anyone interested in productive and sustainable land use.
Land Environments of New Zealand has been developed by Landcare Research and the Ministry for the Environment.
It is a multi-layered classification of environments mapped across the New Zealand landscape and it includes information about climate, soils, and landforms.
Landcare scientist John Leathwick says the award winning project draws on years of research and has resulted in something that is much more than just another set of maps.
The project was originally designed as a framework for environmental and conservation management but John Leathwick says it soon became apparent that it would have much wider uses.
Used in combination with global data, for example, it is possible to explore the potential for grape varieties not yet grown in New Zealand. And by identifying possible habitat areas of imported pests, it may become a useful biosecurity tool.
Leathwick says forestry companies are among the biggest potential users of environmental mapping.
Leathwick says because the classification system is available electronically as well as in book form, the data can be updated and it can also be delivered on the internet.
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