Conservation and minimal use of natural environments
Class 1.0.0 includes land that has a relatively low level of human intervention. The land may be formally reserved by government for conservation purposes, or conserved through other legal or administrative arrangements. Areas may have multiple uses but nature conservation is a central consideration. (Some land may be unused because of a deliberate decision of the government or landowner, or due to circumstances).
Where a classification is based on information about legal protection, the relevant information (e.g. the Act) should be mentioned in the comment field.
Areas with lower levels of biodiversity protection are anticipated to have other primary uses, but biodiversity protection ranking could be captured as an ancillary use with class 1.1.4 and 1.1.5.
1.2.0 Cultural and natural heritage
Section titled “1.2.0 Cultural and natural heritage”Conservation classes are for purposes other than biodiversity protection.
e.g. historical pā sites, New Zealand land wars sites, DOC Māori sites
e.g. historical mining sites, selected DOC ‘iconic sites’ and Toru Whenua landmarks
protected areas for the conservation of specific natural features, and landscapes (e.g. Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, Banks Peninsula Geopark).
1.3.0 Minimal use from relatively natural environments
Section titled “1.3.0 Minimal use from relatively natural environments”This class includes land that is subject to relatively low levels of intervention or that is largely unused in the context of prime use or use for resource protection. This land may be covered with indigenous or exotic plant species. It includes land where the structure of the native vegetation generally remains intact despite deliberate use, although the floristics of the vegetation may have changed markedly (e.g. grazing on native tussock land).
Where native grasses have been deliberately and extensively replaced with other species, the land use should not be classified under class 1.
An area managed as a catchment for water supply.
An area managed as an aquifer recharge zone.
Land uses based on grazing by domestic stock on native vegetation where there has been limited or no deliberate attempt at pasture modification. This captures high-country farming with domestic stock grazing on native vegetation where there has been limited or no deliberate attempt at pasture modification. Some change in species composition may have occurred. This is probably limited to South Island high-country farms. Verification (e.g. assessment of vegetation on grazed land) to assess the extent of modification is required. ALUM specifies this class when there is greater than 50% dominant native species, although this criterion needs to be confirmed as being appropriate in a New Zealand context.
Commercial production from retained native forests and related activities on public and private land. This class includes wood production forestry on native timber without clearfelling, and other native forest production (non-sawlog or non-pulpwood production, including oil, wildflowers, firewood, fenceposts, and mānuka/kānuka honey).
Natural environments associated with traditional and sustainable indigenous food-gathering practices (mahinga kai). This is often an ancillary use; this class should only be assigned if the collection of food or other customary use is indeed the prime use of land. (This may include land zoned for Māori purposes, and should only describe contemporary, not historical, use.)
Natural areas allocated to field training, weapons testing, and other field defence uses, predominantly in rural areas (e.g. Kaipara Air Weapons Range and the Waiouru Military Camp). Areas associated with buildings or more built environments on defence land are captured under an urban class.
Land, usually under vegetative cover, used for non-production or environmental purposes (e.g. prevention of land degradation, windbreaks, shade, and shelter). This is not limited to indigenous vegetation. This class includes land with a primary purpose of flood management (e.g. stop banks, spillways). Land that has been planted for the purposes of environmental and infrastructure protection should be captured under 2.1.4 Planted environmental & infrastructure protection.
Retained (non-planted) indigenous vegetation set aside for carbon credits.
1.4.0 Unused land and land in transition
Section titled “1.4.0 Unused land and land in transition”Corridors and roadside areas may fit under this class, along with unused land (in the sense of productive, conservation or urban use), such as cliffs, rock faces, boulders, and tors, where there are relatively low levels of disturbance. It does not include land undergoing natural succession in the context of changing plant species.
Delineation between indigenous and exotic vegetation for the minimal use and unused land and land in transition classes can be made by reference to land-cover information.
Includes land that is unusable for productive agriculture or urban uses, such as cliffs, rock faces, boulders, and tors, where there are relatively low levels of disturbance.
Degraded land (e.g. due to erosion or flood damage) that is being actively rehabilitated through planting with indigenous or exotic species to return land to a natural state. This includes riparian plantings.