On the Farm - Karl Erikson
By Karl Erikson - Principal land sustainability officer
However, within each and every one of our farms there remains a biodiversity of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.
Though many of Southland’s farms have lost most of their biodiversity values, it’s not too late to preserve what remains and indeed, even build upon it. Biodiversity can be maintained by retiring bush blocks, riparian zones or wetlands on farm and can be promoted by planting and creating wetlands. Environment Southland has services and sources of funding available to help you with this, these include:
- Free ecological surveys of native areas on farm giving the land owner a comprehensive understanding of the species present
- Free biodiversity management plans
- We provide help with QE II applications
- Free riparian management plans that include discounted plants
- Funding is available for ecological enhancement projects that focus on improving existing biodiversity areas.
If you would like help to explore options to improve your biodiversity values on farm, then please give one of our land sustainability or biodiversity officers a call on 0800 76 88 45. We are keen to help.
