Download Best options for land use following radiata harvest in the Gisborne District under climate change: Spatial analysis of erosion susceptibility in plantation forests, East Coast Region

In this report, we use expert knowledge and spatial data on the extent and types of erosion initiated during previous storms as the basis for assessing the erosion susceptibility for the current exotic forest estate in the East Coast region and – in more detail – for four currently forested study sites in the likely event that they will be subjected to episodic storms at some stage during the rotation cycle of P. radiata (~27–30 years). Furthermore, by selecting study sites within two lithologically and structurally contrasting terrains, we identify geologic and topographic factors that influence the development rate and type of erosion process that ultimately determines the degree of susceptibility (low to very high) of different areas within and between study sites.