Otago’s land cover profile is characterised by a predominance of exotic grassland (48%) and tussock grassland (25%), together with a mix of other land covers including indigenous forest, exotic forest, indigenous scrub/shrubland, and natural bare/lightly-vegetated surfaces. Between 1996 and 2018, the areas of exotic grassland and tussock grassland decreased whereas the area of exotic forest increased by 28%, urban area increased by 18% and cropland increased by 9%.
The Queenstown-Lakes District has seen the most urban expansion. The last 14 years have seen some of the largest changes in farming methods and land uses. Large central pivot irrigation is now common in some areas which were traditionally dryland farming areas and dairy conversions are common in locations with the best water supplies. Life-style blocks and vineyards have also made in-roads into areas that were traditionally sheep or beef farming.
Otago’s land cover profile is characterised by:
The key changes in land cover between 1996 and 2018 in the Otago region are:
The likely drivers and potential implications of the changes are: