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Physical soil health (structure)

Moderate soil compaction (low macroporosity) was found on a large proportion of monitored pasture soils. Soil compaction is caused by farm animals treading on pastures, and vehicle traffic and cultivation on croplands.

Macroporosity below a 10 per cent threshold has been shown to adversely affect pasture production. About half the monitored sites under dairy land use were below this desirable threshold. Mixed cropping soils also had low macroporosity.

 

What can you do?

  • Visit www.landcare.org.nz for information about sustainable land management and biodiversity initiatives in rural communities.
  • Composting kitchen and garden waste reinvigorates soil. Composting serves as a kind of carbon sink, storing carbon in the soil instead of in the atmosphere.

This information has come from the latest national state of the environment report Environment New Zealand 2007.

 

Return to the soil health page.

Last updated: December 2007