Cyclone Gabrielle: Put up Occasion Woody Particles Evaluation – Hawke’s Bay

This report presents an in depth evaluation of huge woody particles deposited throughout Hawke’s Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle – one of the intense storms in New Zealand’s recorded historical past. 

Commissioned by Ministry for the Environment and Ministry for Primary Industries underneath the supervision of Scion Research, the examine expands on earlier work to incorporate northern coastal areas that have been beforehand inaccessible.

Using a scientifically strong line intersect sampling technique, the report quantifies the quantity, species composition, and sure origin of woody particles throughout 255 hectares of mapped particles fields. Results confirmed that: 

• solely 8% of particles confirmed indicators of harvest residue (generally known as “slash”)
• 51% originated from pine plantation forests, with 31% from flood-protection willow and poplar plantings
• a good portion of particles was linked to erosion-prone landscapes, exacerbated by saturated soils and excessive rainfall.

The findings present stable proof for discussions across the function of forestry slash in infrastructure injury, and spotlight the advanced interaction of land use, vegetation kind, and storm depth. This report supplies insights to tell future land administration and erosion mitigation methods in weak areas.