New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

Forum¹

Agricultural intensification: whither indigenous biodiversity?

William G. Lee

Landcare Research
Private Bag 1930
Dunedin 9054, New Zealand

leew@landcareresearch.co.nz

Colin D. Meurk

Landcare Research
PO Box 40
Lincoln 7640, New Zealand

Bruce D. Clarkson

Department of Biological Sciences
University of Waikato
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240, New Zealand

Abstract A new wave of agricultural intensification in New Zealand is causing increasing pressure on natural resources. Moller et al. (2008) suggest that the agricultural intensification is inevitable, that negative environmental impacts have only been demonstrated for aquatic systems, and that a new paradigm based on integrating indigenous biodiversity and agriculture offers the best way forward. We question all these assertions. Recent agricultural intensification is increasingly driven by international economic opportunities for agricorporates to maximise returns. Intensification over the last two decades is causing loss of habitat for indigenous species and homogenisation of landscapes at scales unprecedented since deforestation by colonial farmers. Regional and district councils appear ill prepared for a formative role requiring sustainable land and resource use, while current patterns of local consumption and offshore resource subsidisation for agribusinesses are probably unsustainable. Irrespective of the drivers of agricultural intensification, residual indigenous biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in New Zealand is on an extinction pathway. The challenge for agro-industry is to demonstrate that it can, in the absence of regulation, use natural resources and at the same time facilitate persistence of indigenous biodiversity components at scales that contribute to national biodiversity goals.

Keywords agricultural sustainability; cultural landscapes; indigenous biodiversity; New Zealand

¹The Forum section contains short opinion articles on topics within the scope of the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research. Forum articles are not refereed, and editing is limited to style matters. They should be no more than the equivalent of 2500 words including references. Articles commenting on a specific paper will be referred to the author(s) of that paper for right of reply before publication. Forum articles should not be cited as scientific papers.

A08058; Online publication date 30 October 2008
Received 6 October 2008

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2008, Vol. 51:457–460
0028–8233/08/5104–0457 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (654K)

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