Land cover describes the types of vegetation and built or natural features that cover the land’s surface. Understanding changes in land cover is important because the type and location of vegetation cover can influence land stability and the movement of water through the landscape. LAWA uses land cover data derived from the New Zealand Land Cover Database (LCDB). It is displayed as a series of ‘snapshots’ covering 1996, 2001, 2008, 2012, and 2018.
