Farm Forestry New ZealandTrees for Riparian Plantings
Trees beside water courses provide shade and thus improve water quality and biodiversity. Fencing off streams and planting trees provides a natural filter that reduces siltatation and nutrient runoff into water courses. This means environmental benefits, aesthetic value and also provides satisfaction to the landowner.
Tree Grower articles
- Telling better forestry stories (Access: NZFFA membership)
Michelle Harnett, August 2021
‘I don’t like radiata’ – A King Country farmer who wants to plant more trees. ‘I do not want any trees on my farm’ − a South Island farmer. ‘Farmers… - Riparian planting - Tips and tricks for maximising success (Access: unrestricted)
Clare Ridler and Lucy Ferguson, February 2019
This article was first published in Indigena in 2018. Riparian planting has a wide range of benefits for both waterways and ecosystem services. These can include the following − Providing… - Planting in riparian zones (Access: unrestricted)
Andrea Ravenscroft, November 2014
The importance of riparian zones has come under focus recently as the state of freshwater quality in our streams and rivers is declining in many areas. Rural streams where banks… - Transforming Taranaki with riparian plantings (Access: unrestricted)
Don Shearman, August 2014
North Taranaki dairy farmer Blue Read, now also a Fonterra director, sums it up − ‘Riparian planting is going to happen in Taranaki. We farmers can choose to be the… - Trees for protection – native or otherwise (Access: unrestricted)
Jim Flack, May 2013
In geological terms, New Zealand is a young country and still growing. Tectonic plates grind beneath us, pushing the land upwards, while our maritime weather systems try to wear it… - Gullies supply most sediment to major East Coast river systems (Access: unrestricted)
Mike Marden, August 2009
It has long been suspected that gullies have been, and continue to be, the major source of sediment in each of the three major East Coast river systems − Waipaoa,… - Pine plantations and water quality in central North Island lakes (Access: unrestricted)
John Quinn, November 2005
Increasing nutrient levels threaten the quality of many central North Island lakes. A long term study showed that nutrients leaking from land to water decreased markedly when a central North… - Wood in streams - size really does matter (Access: unrestricted)
Brenda Baillie, February 2005
When the time comes for harvesting woodlots, most of us are aware of the risks associated with leaving large amounts of logging slash in streams. This is reflected in regional…
Trees on Farms Videos
Headlines
- The Land and Water Forum releases fourth report on water management November 2015
The Land and Water Forum (LWF) today published its fourth report, outlining 60 new consensus recommendations for how New Zealand should improve its management of fresh water and calling on… - Trees Healing River Catchments NZFFA Trees on Farms Workshop, 24 May 2012, Wairarapa May 2012
Press Release 2 MAY 2012 Trees Healing River Catchments NZFFA Trees on Farms Workshop 24 May 2012, Carterton Events Centre, Holloway Street, Carterton A workshop aimed at helping Wairarapa landowners take…
Other sources of information
- Water quality (Scion publication, August 2017)
There are some 1.7 million hectares of planted forests in New Zealand, 90% of which are in radiata pine. These forests contain an estimated 24,220 km of streams that, for most of the forest growing cycle, provide a source of high quality water to downstream users. There is increasing pressure on our water resources. However, with prudent stewardship and ongoing improvements to management practices, New Zealand’s forests will continue to provide sustainable sources of high quality water. - Mind the Stream: A guide to looking after urban and rural streams in the Wellington Region
Greater Wellington Regional Council. (2004). Practical handbook including some good examples of streamside planting schemes. - Best Practices for Riparian Management
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Land Management series.
Two-page leaflet with introductory guidelines on managing riparian land. - Riparian zone/waterway management
Dairy NZ. Comprehensive resources from Dairy NZ. Developed for dairy farmers but also relevant to others. Includes a riparian planner tool with suggestions for planting riparian strips. - NZ Guidelines for Constructed Wetland Treatment of Tile Drainage
Tanner, C. C., Sukias, J. P. S., & Yates, C. R. (2010) New Zealand Guidelines: Constructed Wetland Treatment of Tile Drainage NIWA Information Series No. 75 (pp. 54). Wellington: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Practical guidelines on the construction of wetlands on tile-drained areas to help control effluent run-off and create wildlife habitats on farms. Includes tree selection and management advice.
NZFFA on facebook