Vegetation Options for Increasing Resilience in Pastoral Hill Country

Steep, uncultivable hill country below 1,000 m comprises about 40% of New Zealand's land surface area. Hill farmers require options to increase the resilience their farms climatic and economic extremes while addressing soil conservation water quality issues. We profile discuss two that can assist in transforming country. The first a simple approach grazing management pastures pasture second focuses on including selected forage shrubs (and trees) create grazed pasture-shrublands. Deferred grazing, cessation from flowering until seed dispersal desirable species pasture, is an old practice which has novel applications improve farming systems. draw current research practitioner experience demonstrate impact deferred farm system. propose will: (i) by enabling it better recover biotic abiotic stresses (ii) reduce risk nutrient sediment losses increasing ground cover, rooting depth structural stability. Introducing woody into another option profitability future variabilities. extensive root networks stability erosion. In addition, supply many other ecosystem services, such as shelter for livestock. this paper, we discuss: potential benefits pasture-shrubland at farm, landscape national scales; candidate exotic indigenous species; (iii) priorities research.