Soil Stability and Disturbance in the Tararu Catchment – Changes from 2002 to 2007

TR 2010/39
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Report: TR 2010/39
Author: A B Thompson (Thelton Environmental Ltd) and D L Hicks

Abstract

The Tararu was selected by Waikato Regional Council staff as a representative catchment, partly because its terrain typefies the Coromandel, and also because it is one of several catchments targeted for intensive pest control from 2005 onwards.  Vegetation plots have been established to ascertain whether the Waikato Regional Council’s pest control initiative is resulting in measureable revegetation of erosion scars and creek beds, and a sampler has been installed near the stream mouth to find out if there is any consequential reduction in sediment yield.

In 2006, the Waikato Regional Council requested Dr. D. Hicks (then Ecological Research Associates) to measure erosion and revegetation of scars throughout the Tararu catchment from the region’s aerial photo cover. The southern Coromandel portion was fortuitously taken shortly after a storm in April 2003.  Results and their interpretation are contained in a report by Hicks (2006).    

In 2010, the Waikato Regional Council contracted Mr. A.B. Thompson (Thelton Environmental) to undertake a re-measurement of the Tararu from new aerial photo cover taken in 2007. Dr. Hicks was involved in the contract as needed for analysis procedure and comparisons.

The report starts with an overview of soil stability, soil disturbance, bare soil and revegetation. It then gives results from the 2007 assessment of vegetation’s effectiveness as soil conservation cover. Results are split according to whether land is under natural or disturbed vegetation.

Soil Stability and Disturbance in the Tararu Catchment – Changes from 2002 to 2007 [PDF, 94 KB]