12.6 New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) and Land Use Capability (LUC) Units

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Database Title	12.6 New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) and Land Use Capability (LUC) Units.
Keywords Type1. Type 11.	geology, soil, erosion, vegetation, slope, distribution, maps land use capability
Abstract	This is a national database of physical land-resource information based on two sets of data and presented as labelled map polygons. An inventory of five physical factors: rock type soil type slope erosion degree and type vegetation A Land Use Capability rating of each unit (map polygon) based on an assessment of the ability of the 5 factors in (a) to provide sustained agricultural production. This also considers climate, effects of past land use and potential for erosion
Geographical Coverage	New Zealand 2 main islands and inshore islands. Not Stewart Island.
Dataset start date.	1973
Dataset end date.	Current
Status/currency.	In progress
Update frequency.	As new data becomes available.
Maintenance.	Not determined. Funding is needed to update the database.

Technical Evaluation
Parameters- what is measured	rock type soil unit slope group erosion type and degree type of vegetation cover in polygon (in classes including mixtures)
Parameters- what is calculated	Land use capability - LUC unit; LUC subclass; LUC class
Methods used to measure parameters	Aerial photograph interpretation, assessments of existing information (e.g. soil information) and field work are used. The mapping technique involves identifying areas that are essentially homogeneous for rock type, soil unit, and slope. Within these map units erosion type and severity and vegetation cover are assessed. From these factors, together with information on climate and effects of past land use, an assessment of the suitability of land for permanent sustained production is made, using the land use capability (LUC) system of classification.
Secondary sources of data	See methods.
Scale of use.	Initially 1:63,360 and later 1:50,000.
Number of records	Not known.
GIS compatibility.	Yes
Available formats for users.	hard copy NZLRI worksheets hard copy extended legends that accompany the worksheets digital ARC-Info GIS maps and accompanying legends
Access constraints.	Hard copy and/or digital information can be purchased from Landcare Research. Costs vary depending on whether: the primary data is already available and in GIS format; new coverage and/or reinterpretation of existing data is required.
Measurement Accuracy	To be completed by database manager.
Completeness of dataset	To be completed by database manager.
Positional accuracy	To be completed by database manager.
Database steward	Landcare Research Ltd
Database custodian	Landcare Research Ltd
Database custodian contact person	Peter Newsome
Database custodian Contact Address Phone Fax Email	Peter Newsome Private Bag 11 052 Palmerston North +64 6 356 7154 +64 6 355 9230 newsomep@landcare.cri.nz
References	Froude, V.A; Beanland, R.A. 1999. Review of spatial frameworks and environmental classification systems. Report prepared for the Ministry for the Environment. Pacific Eco-Logic Resource Management Associates and Ruth Ann Beanland Planning and Resource Management Consultant. Jessen, M.R.; Crippen, T.F.; Page, M.J.; Rijkse, W.C.; Harmsworth, G.R.; McLeod, M. 1999. Land use capability of the Gisborne - East Coast Region. Landcare Research Science Series No 21. Water and Soil Division, Ministry of Works and Development. 1979. Our Land Resources. A bulletin to accompany New Zealand Land Resource Inventory worksheets.
Date metadata record prepared.	October 1999
Author of metadata record.	Victoria Froude

Management Evaluation
Original purpose.	To assist the National Water and Soil Conservation Organisation in fulfilling its responsibilities for soil conservation and erosion control. This required land resource information of a uniform standard and quality at the local, regional and national levels.
Relationships with classification systems.	There are a number of classification systems used in this database (i.e. for each of the five factors and the land use capability ranking system) rock type : classification system developed to suit NZLRI. It groups rocks of similar erosion characteristics and concentrates on those rocks that directly influence surface morphology and land use soils : uses New Zealand Soil Classification system (Hewitt) slope : a purpose designed classification (8 groups) system based on broad management criteria erosion : a purpose designed classification of fifteen erosion types. A severity ranking is applied to each erosion type. Each map polygon can include up to 4 erosion types vegetation : 5 broad vegetation classes are used with some further division based on the presence of some specified dominant species. As polygons are based on rock, type, soil type and slope the vegetation in a polygon often reflects proximity rather than ecological relationships. Vegetation in the recent revision of the NZLRI in Gisborne is recorded as it occurs rather than in polygon units Land use classification system - this is a purpose designed system with 3 levels : class, subclass and unit. There are over 700 LUC units
Relationships with other databases	Various components of the LRI are being linked with other datasets to form new databases. An example is the NZ Soils Spatial Database which links the NZLRI and the NZ Soils Database.
Known relationships with proposed EPIP indicators.	N/A
Who uses this database?	NZLRI is presently in hard copy and/or GIS format in the following agencies: every regional council except West Coast a number of district councils a number of private sector companies most universities Department of Conservation various research institutes. The NZLRI has primarily been used by regional councils and their predecessors as a basis for guiding their soil conservation and related land management functions. Froude and Beanland (1999) identify a number of uses of interpreted data from the NZLRI.
Public awareness of the database	There is a high degree of awareness of this database by land management agencies and land managers.
Database strengths.	Nationally consistent 1:50,000 scale is useful for guiding management at the regional/territorial local authority scale further computer (secondary) analysis of much the underlying data is possible. Parts of the LRI can be linked with other datasets.
Database limitations.	some users try to use NZLRI inappropriately without adequately recognising the database limitations of scale; limitations associated with vegetation classification and mapping and the significance of the time for changeable factors such as vegetation and erosion the information in the mapped polygons may be poorly described for up to 20% of any mapped polygon. This means that it is inappropriate to use NZLRI data at scales larger than the original mapping scale because the non-representative parts of a map will be enhanced there is no longer funding for training users of the NZLRI and LUC some regions have old and substandard data, e.g. Coromandel there are a number of limitations associated with the contributing data. These include: soil - some of the soil data in the database is based on old DSIR Soil Bureau maps at 1:250,000 scale, expanded to 1:63,000 and 1:50,000 scale. Many inaccuracies can result from this type of scaling of base information slope - the variations of slope within units means that up to 20% of each polygon may be poorly described for this characteristic vegetation - the NZLRI map units (polygons) are based on rock type, soil unit and slope. The inventory of vegetation elements within a polygon does not provide any understanding of the different ecological associations occurring within a polygon and the relationships between those associations. The single vegetation description for each polygon can result in descriptions of entities that do not actually occur in nature.

What are the Current and Emerging Uses of the Database for:
Assisting with determining historic state/baseline.	The database provides a baseline of physical factors and LUC for primary production, as at the time of mapping. The vegetation data would need to be considered indicative only.
Assisting with determining current state/baseline.	Remapping of factors that vary over time may identify current state. As previously stated the vegetation data should not be used in this way other than to address broad scale questions except where this is mapped directly rather than in polygon units. As at 31 October 1999 direct mapping of vegetation has only been done for Gisborne.
Assisting with modeling possible future outcomes.	Provided that the LUC and LRI is used properly it could be possible to predict some of the potential effects of land use change on erosion.
Risk assessment.	There are several examples of this including Taranaki Regional Council, Otago Regional Council and Environment BOP.
Monitoring site selection and sample design.	There are some examples of the NZLRI and LUC being used to assist the selection of sites for monitoring.
Aggregating and reporting data locally, regionally or nationally.	It should be possible to aggregate data by LUC class; subclass or unit. Care will be needed in aggregating erosion data. It would not be appropriate to aggregate vegetation data (for reasons already discussed).