For the first time, authorities fighting the spread of wilding conifers will have a complete picture of infestations throughout the country. Source: Otage Daily Times
The Wilding Conifer Information System (WCIS) is a web-based mapping and monitoring tool developed by Land Information New Zealand (Linz), which highlighted different areas of the country where the trees were located.
Minister for Land Information Mark Mitchell said the conifers affected more than two million hectares of land and were spreading at an estimated rate of 5% a year.
“[The app] will ensure control of this invasive species is carried out in the most efficient way possible,” Mr Mitchell said.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said when planted in the right place, conifers provided timber, increased carbon storage, decreased erosion and provided shelter for stock.
“But, in the wrong place conifers are a major threat to our ecosystems, land and farms – where they compete with native plants and animals and can severely alter natural landscapes,” he said.
WCIS would be used to measure the effectivity of the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme – a partnership between Linz, the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Defence Force, regional and district councils, forestry, farming and community groups.
The program added five new priority areas for 2017/18, in addition to the 1 million-plus hectares of affected land it had successfully controlled. They were Lammermoor, Tekapo West, Teakapo East, Ohau and Mid-Dome, and collectively covered another 371,000 hectares.
By having the tool in app form, authorities could access it on their devices and capture information from the field in real-time.
“This information will be vital at both regional and national levels when it comes to making decisions about where to prioritise funding for control” Mr Mitchell said.
The application can be viewed on the Linz website: www.linz.govt.nz/wilding-coniferinformation- system
